As an adult we know there are two types of people in this world…

Morning People: We all know these people. They are up and five items into their daily to do list before the sun even starts to rise. They wake up happy, always on the right side of the bed and always ready to take the bull by the horns… no caffeine IV required… They get more done before lunchtime than seems possible.

Not Morning People: The other half fall into this category. They are not excited to hear their alarm, and there is no  hop skip and jump down the hall to happily sing in the shower. They need some peace and quiet along with a gallon of their favorite coffee before they even want to come face to face with the day ahead of them let alone another human being. 

I have been both of these people at different points in my life, sometimes it even depends on the day. What a lot of parents forget is that kids also fall into one of these two categories and by not planning for what and how they need to “wake up and get ready for the day” we could be setting them up for failure. 

Routines are so important, they help us as parents accomplish everything we need to accomplish, and help set children up for access because they know what’s coming and what they need to do.

So let’s look at it this way… if you have a child who is one of those early bed catches the worm, can’t wait to take on the day type you should probably make sure that you have everything you need to get done finished before waking up your little. They are going to want to get ready and take on the day. They will not want to wait for you to have your morning cup of coffee, pack some lunches, take something out of the freezer for dinner ect.. by getting them up and ready but then expecting them to wait to begin their day could be setting you both up for failure. They will be rip roaring to go and you’ll be trying to finish up everything you need to get done before walking out the door. Morning meltdown here we come…

On the other side of it, if you have a nobody talk to me or even look at me for at least an hour types than for their sanity (and yours!!!) they should be woken up way before you expect them to get ready to head out the door and start their day with a big smile on their face. These kiddos need to be able to slowly wake up, relax and then start their day. They can be taking this time for themselves as you are doing the million and one things we have to do before we walk out the door each morning. By waiting until the last minute to wake them up, then rushing them through getting ready and getting out the door chances are you will both become emotional and frustrated. Morning meltdowns here we come…

So to avoid this, and also to make sure everyone gets to start off their day on the right foot, take the time to think about what makes everyone function the best and keep those needs in mind when planning your morning routines.