8 Tips To Get Your Preschooler Into A Good Morning Routine

Now that your little bundle of joy has grown up (a little) and is going to preschool, you may find yourself facing some new challenges. While it’s absolutely fantastic that they’re progressing to their next phase of life, getting them up and ready for school every morning can be a pretty tiring way to start your day. Let’s face it — babies are not born with an inclination to follow schedules, and getting them to eat if they’re not into it, or put on their uniform if they don’t feel like it, are mini battles that can sometimes escalate into big fights and much frustration.  

Yet, if you haven’t already heard or read it somewhere, kids thrive on routine. The familiarity and predictability of a strong routine in fact gives our children a sense of comfort and security. Having an organised home life also helps equip them with a sense of mastery and develops confidence in them to handle life, preparing them for primary school and beyond. So even if it may feel super tough to establish one, getting your child into a strong morning routine is a vital task with an eventually huge payoff. Here are some tips to help.     

Factor in some buffer time in the morning

If you don’t want to constantly feel like you’re rushing them, or perpetually be that mommy who delivers her kid late to school, waking early is essential — especially in the beginning when you’re just trying to establish a morning rhythm. Factor in enough time for slow starts, disagreeability, spilt milk and coffee, poo and pee-mergencies, bad traffic and bad hair.

Set a wake-up time that will give them the margin to wake calmly, finish basic grooming tasks unhurriedly, dress and eat breakfast happily, before calmly commuting to school. You’ll be glad you factored in a margin on days when the unforeseen happens, and everyone will be glad that they’re not constantly on edge and in a hurry, which leads to impatience, conflict and even unfortunate accidents. 

Prep the night before wherever possible

It follows that sleeping early is necessary if you want to wake early in good spirits. Making sure they get enough sleep for their age (at least 10-14 hours a day including naps) is essential if you don’t want to deal with a sleepy, cranky child in the morning — not to mention it's beneficial for their mental and physical development. 

On your part, prepping well the night before also helps make for a successful morning. Planning breakfast, packing their bags, getting clothes ready and laid out for the next day… while menial and trivial, getting these tasks done the night before can save you a lot of time and scurrying in the morning.      

Create your schedule and practise, practise, practise

Crafting a fixed schedule for your preschooler to follow is what lends predictability to the day, both before and after school. Rehearsing the schedule over and over again each day with them is what helps and empowers them to master life tasks. Depending on your family culture and practices, a typical morning schedule could look like this:

 7AM: Wake up 

• Potty and wash hands with soap
• Brush teeth and wash face

7.15AM: Eat breakfast

7.40AM: Preparation

• Wash up
• Put on uniform and socks
• Put on sunscreen

8AM: Leave the house for school

Minimise distractions in the morning

This is incredibly important so you don’t lose the plot and get carried away by your three-year old’s whimsy. It’s completely natural that your kid wants to play or stare sleepily into space when you’ve asked them repeatedly to go wash their hands. It is your job to set boundaries and steer them away from possible distractions so they will stick to the routine. 

Lay down rules for screen time and put possible distractions out of sight or reach in the mornings. One helpful trick is to play music. A cheery tempo or favourite song can help rouse them from sleep and energise your sleepyheads, setting a good pace for the day.  

Delegate responsibilities

This is an important part of empowerment. Giving your child age-appropriate responsibilities is necessary for cultivating independence, because children can get too used to having everything done for them. Of course, you should set reasonable expectations according to their age and ability. For instance, they can start by putting the breakfast dishes into the sink, or lining up their bag and shoes by the door the night before.

Be super encouraging when getting them to start doing a new thing for themselves. It helps to give clear step-by-step instructions that your child can follow, and praise them for trying even when they fail. Younger kids often need more reminders about what they should be doing, and it helps to offer timely reminders with as much patience as you can muster. 

Offer healthy choices 

Kids will be kids, so it’s not surprising if they refuse to comply on certain days and start to defy or “negotiate”. Bargaining standoffs can become a habitual and painful affair if you let them. Instead, try offering choices, with options and outcomes which you would be happy with either way. 

Giving them (the illusion of) choice is a great conflict-diffusing technique. It allows your kid to assert their independence in a healthy way, developing their problem-solving skills. For instance, “Would you like to have cereal or toast today?” “Do you want to get your own socks on or do you need my help?” Offering these choices helps them feel valued and respected, and helps everyone happily move on with the next task.   

Give praise

Often underrated and underutilised, this tool is such an important and powerful one in every parent’s arsenal. Positive attention and positive reinforcement are so good for both your little one’s growing esteem and your relationship with them. It’s as simple as commenting on how well they’re brushing their teeth, or thanking them for not making a mess at breakfast.

Instead of only giving them negative attention when they’re misbehaving or missing the mark, which also in a way perpetuates negative behaviour, heap generous praise on them for doing the right thing. This encourages and helps establish a positive pattern of behaviour because, just like us, kids like to be praised!  

Stay calm and cheerful

This might sound contrived or tired, but it’s a great personal mantra to embrace in parenting. Kids are sensitive creatures with the innate ability to pick up on their surroundings and others’ moods and emotions, and they also tend to be easily influenced by you. Set the tone for the morning by putting on a smile and creating a pleasant vibe in your home. 

On those more trying days, try and remember what’s important — enjoying time with your kids and protecting your relationship with them trumps beating the traffic or getting to work on time. There will be slightly worse days, and that’s OK — just keep calm, smile and carry on.