• Your planner is signed and in backpack (school requires this or the kid gets penalized)
• Your backpack is by the door full and ready to go
Then and ONLY then can the TV be turned on. And they all want to watch TV in the morning, so they’re extremely motivated to get their stuff done. Here’s the thing in my family too… if one person is not ready, NO ONE gets to have the TV on. It’s too distracting for the other children who have not finished their list of things needed. This creates a little positive peer pressure for any child lagging behind, and I have also seen siblings help each other with beds or snack selection so that they can get five minutes of TV before school. If your kids are not motivated by TV, then I have also used “riding or walking to school” as a motivator. They LOVE it when we get to do this before school, but we have to leave at an earlier time so their morning activities might need to start a bit earlier.
After-school activities are also driven by the TV or play allowance – they have to do their homework, eat their snacks, and get their backpacks ready for the next day (it is nice to check something off the list for tomorrow morning the day before!)
They pick their clothes out
before bed so we have no wardrobe malfunctions… including having BOTH shoes sitting next to those clothes (this was the hardest thing for me to remember – and the thing that always cogged our wheel – ONE MISSING SHOE and it was the only pair they would consider wearing!)
The week before school starts, do a few dry runs with your checklists for the mornings. Get them doing a few worksheets (even color sheets if you have younger ones) that they can stick in their new backpacks. Set expectations and practice.
Designate one spot for signature-required items (get a tray or a box or something that keeps it all together.) Be JUDICIOUS about what goes in there – it is ONLY signature-required for school – don’t start dropping your bills in there or your other stuff to do. Use a family calendar (if you don’t have one, I
REALLY advise you to get one.) Ours hangs on the side of our fridge and as soon as I get a due date with a project or school function, I write it on the calendar. If I have a “Star Student” poster due one Monday, I will write on the Wednesday preceding that date to BUY POSTERBOARD, COLLECT PHOTOS so my Sunday night is not ruined with last-minute errands and sitting in front of the computer till midnight looking through hundreds of photos
trying to find five that best describe my child. (You’ve been there, you know you have – I can’t be the only one!)
Remember: Don’t be the cog in the wheel… we are there to lead our children to success! We don’t need to do everything for them, but we do need to set an example of preparedness and relaxed readiness! Have a great school year!
Mecca Robbins is a professional speaker, trainer, and mentor to Moms. With 5 children: Cameron (13), Nicolas (11), Alex (8), Chance (5), and Reese (4), having one child with Down Syndrome and another with ADHD, Mecca was often asked “How do you do it?” This question led her to leave a successful corporate career of over 15 years and to focus on motivational speaking and training for parents.
Click here to send Mecca a question about raising your child with Special Needs
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North Texas Kids • August 2011 •
www.NorthTexasKids.com 29
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