A school morning routine chart for calmer mornings
Mornings go wrong when there's too much to remember and not enough time. A short routine your child can follow on their own takes much of the reminding off your shoulders.
The five-step morning
- Get dressed
- Breakfast at the table
- Brush teeth
- Bag and water bottle by the door
- Shoes and coat on
Keep the order the same every school day so it becomes automatic.
Do the night-before jobs the night before
Laying out clothes and packing the bag before bed makes the morning much quicker. "Got my things ready" can be an evening mission of its own.
Screens after, not before
If your child watches something in the morning, make it the reward for being ready, not something that happens first. Being ready early then earns the extra time.
Let them do it, even if it's slower
Children learn the routine by doing it themselves. Start ten minutes earlier for a week or two while they get the hang of it, then let the routine carry them.
Celebrate a ready-on-time week
A small Friday reward for a good week of mornings (a choice of after-school activity, or a favourite tea) gives the routine a finish line.
A reward chart that feels like an adventure
Pablo & Poppy turns your child's missions into steps along an illustrated trail, with badges on the way and a reward you choose together waiting at the end. It works on your phone or tablet, even offline.
