Simple tips to get your kids on time
Being on time is one of the common struggles for families. Searching for lost clothes articles, preparing a quick breakfast and other morning tasks can delay your departure. Here are some easy tips to have a relaxing morning.
1. Be organized and prepare for the expected
We understand that sometimes unexpected situations happen that are out of our control, and this is totally fine. However, we can have an idea of what’s going to happen that day, right? Being organized is an important quality to apply in everyday life. One way of doing this is to have a specific area in the house designated to easy access to necessary items, this will prevent losing time looking for what you need. Get done as much as you can the night before, such as backpacks and clothes ready to go. Have in mind some ideas for breakfast, look into your kitchen, do you have everything you need to make lunch? Anticipating the menu of the day can also make your day easier. Wake up before your kids to have extra time to prepare yourself and, wake them up with sufficient time to get ready to leave the house on time. So first be prepared and then be organized!
2. Daily Routine
A consistent schedule helps family life run more smoothly. Routines help children feel safe, develop life skills and build healthy habits. Routines help parents feel organized, reduce stress, and find time for enjoyable activities. But how do you create a family schedule? Get a calendar, a poster board, or even a whiteboard, then consider each task/activity that needs to happen for each member of your family, write it down and try to follow it for a week.
Do what works best for you and your family, prepare, organize, and get into a routine!
3. Set your environment
In addition to clocks and alarms around the house, you can also incorporate specific items that could help your family to improve on-time behavior. For example, visual timers allow children to visually “see” time passing, you can find them as sand timers, liquid timers, or countdown clocks. For children who can read and understand numbers, a digital timer can also be considered.
4. Reward on-time behavior
In ABA we are all about reinforcement, so reinforcing on-time behaviors in your children will promote and maintain punctuality. For example, if the family manages to be on time from Monday to Friday, let the children choose a reward for the weekend, perhaps a thematic dinner at home, a special movie night out, a sleepover with friends or maybe a fun outing to the park/zoo or just sometimes acknowledging their effort. Try to reinforce on-time behavior in one way or another!
