class & program
speed up the dawdler Help your slow mover get going! By Sarah Lyons Is your family always running late? Do you find yourself frustratingly repeating phrases like: “Hurry!”, “Let’s go!”, or “Come on! We are going to be late!” every day? Like many families, you may have a dawdler living in your house. Getting kids ready for the day and out the door, especially on busy days is challenging for any parent but when you have one (or more) children that seem to take their sweet time getting anywhere on time can seem impossible. Here are some tips to help you speed up a dawdler in your family: Set limits. Typically, a dawdler is easily distracted. Many times, I have sent my son upstairs for some socks and he has come back downstairs barefoot, carrying a toy plane. Reduce distractions by limiting toys and screen time (for both parents and kids) in the mornings. Remind your kids that there will be plenty of time for play after school when their homework and chores are complete. Make it a competition. Many parents have success getting their dawdlers to pick up the pace by creating a game or competition for them. Holly Searls, mom of four, says, “We set timers for everything. There is usually a motivator connected to the timer. For example, if they beat the timer, they get to stay up later. A negative
consequence may be losing TV time.” DeAnne Turley, mother of three, uses a sticker chart to motivate her kids. For example, if they are ready on time, they get a sticker and if they collect 30 stickers, they get a date night with the parent of their choice. Creating a competition or game out of each task in the morning is a great way to keep a dawdler on task. Be prepared. There are many things to remember during school mornings: Is there orchestra today? Sports practice after school? What’s for lunch? Does a child have their math homework in-hand? The stress of these last-minute questions can be greatly reduced by preparing the night before. “Choices seem to slow my family down the most,” says Krystal Laws, mother of seven. “We pick out clothes the night before and lay shoes by the door. This makes the mornings run smoother.” Loading backpacks, packing lunches, and setting out any sports equipment or instruments the night before will help everyone in the family feel more prepared the next morning and focus on the goal of getting out the door on time. Get up earlier. For children who need a little extra time, rising earlier in the morning may give them the time they need to keep on task. “My daughter needs time to wake up and adjust to a new day. So, we had
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"Teaching children
that if they are late, they may face consequences or miss out on something helps them become responsible for how they manage their time."
