Heading back to school and getting into the groove of a morning routine can look different for each child.
Here are a few tips to help support your children and make school mornings easier, leading to pleasant mornings and less-frazzled parents.
If you are unsure which of the 4 Natures your child leads with, click here.
The Social Child
Social children are unstructured in the way they move and also in how they complete tasks.
Their brilliant minds are constantly bombarded with new ideas and possibilities which causes them to be easily distracted, and often running late to get out the door in the mornings.
A check list where they have to tick off their get ready tasks, then something to look forward to after everything is done and they are ready for school.
If you have a cranky Social Child on your hands in the mornings - here are some tips:
The heaviness in structure of the morning routine could be the cause of this.
Lighten things up by having some fun in the morning. A quick game or 5 minutes of rough housing. Add in some variety or something novel, and you will have them bouncing out of bed ready to soak up the possibilities of the day.
Laying the day's clothes out the night before can help get the ball rolling.
Fun and silly notes from Mum or Dad quickly lighten the mood.
Do you find your Social Child has bounding energy that is overwhelming others?
You may find yourself wanting to tell your Social Child to settle down and stop moving around so much. Remember that their unstructured movement is a tendency that comes naturally and asking them to stop in a negative, heavy way can result in a shameful feeling leaving them thinking ‘who I am is not lovable’.
Send a message of love and worth first, and then explain the needs of the group.
For example: “I love how happy and energetic you are in the mornings, but in this space we need to use our bodies and voices quietly”
Remind them of your expectations: It's hard for children to stick to the program if they don't remember the rules, and Social children have more trouble keeping our expectations in mind then the other Natures as they are easily distracted. So it's helpful to remind them in a way that sends the message, - I’m here to help you stay on track’.
Alternatively, you could create an environment that supports their high movement, and trust that as they mature they will develop self regulation skills for situations that require them to be still. You can talk with them about this and play games to help them practice and develop this skill.