Wake Up
Let’s talk attendance. Like others, my school has really stepped up our attendance policy in an effort to hold students accountable for arriving, each day, ON TIME. Or rather—to hold our parents and guardians accountable for on-time arrivals. Because, I know that it’s a team effort to get everyone up, at ‘em, and out the door before the first school bell chimes (for us, it’s 8:00AM).
I also know that mornings can be rough—multiple snoozes on the alarm clock followed by the proverbial battle of getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast (hopefully!), and loaded up in the car, on the bus, or even in an Uber.
It’s a lot to coordinate day-in and day-out.
If you are struggling with on-time arrivals, ask yourself:
“What is holding my family (and/or I) up in the morning?”
Is it that everyone is too exhausted when the first (of several) alarms go off?
Is it that everyone is scrambling to get themselves organized?
Is your child lacking motivation to head to school at all? (Note: this needs to be further investigated to understand the root of their apathy!)
If it is EXHAUSTION:
According to the CDC, “Teens need at least 8 hours of sleep per night [while] younger students need at least 9.” And, while it has been proposed that school’s embrace a later start time to the day, until that is a universal mandate, we have to work together within the confines of a more traditional schedule. So to start, regularly schedule bedtimes—for younger and older students.
Additionally, if too many after school activities are getting in the way of your child completing their nightly homework by a reasonable hour, you might have to pull back on soccer, or basketball, or chess, or ballet, or piano, or . . . you get the idea.
If your kids are managing their time well, completing nightly homework should rarely be an issue. But, if you find that your child is burning the midnight oil night after night, then reach out to their teacher. Inquire about how to support the increase in your child’s homework. Is there daily study hall offered on-campus that will help them get a jump start on homework that needs to be accomplished? Should you have your kids take a break from their devices (outside of what’s needed to complete any research-based assignments) until they are done? Are they not understanding the material taught during the day which makes completing any at-home work nearly impossible? Talk to your child’s teacher about all of these possibilities.
And, if you ever pull the plug and call it a night—be candid about that with their teacher, too. We have to work together to support not only the academic growth of your children, but their physical wellbeing, as well.
If it is ORGANIZATIONAL:
Look, we all need help when it comes to getting everything together before heading out the door each morning. For me, it’s my laptop, handbag, workout clothes, vitamins, mug of hot tea. But, for the average family, between backpacks, books, lunchboxes, gym bags, basketball uniforms, bake sale treats, and ideally a breakfast bar for the car ride into school—it’s mammoth! But, instead of letting each morning result in a five-alarm fire, tap into tips that can get everyone on the same page ahead of time:
Make lunches the night before.
You can have this be a collaboration between yourself and your child, or as you are making dinner, multitask—boil a little more pasta, make an extra helping or two of salad, and utilize leftovers as the following day’s sustenance.
Lay out clothes ahead of time.
Have your child pick out exactly what they want (and, need!) to wear the next day so that their morning is already pre-planned. And, make sure that their backpack is already filled with homework, books, and any forms that need to be turned into their teacher. Scrambling last minute for lost permission slips, a free reading book, or their volleyball jersey will only delay EVERYTHING.
Set timers for each minutiae.
Brushing teeth (set a timer). Taking a shower (set a timer). Getting from bedroom to car, buckled in and ready to go (set a timer).
If your child is HESITANT to attend school altogether:
It’s 7:52AM, and your child is dragging their feet—again. They have fought you every step of the way throughout your morning routine, and now they are at a DEFCON 1 nuclear meltdown about how they hate school, have no friends, and want to go somewhere new.
Been there.
But, the question that I have for you is—is this a momentary, “It’s a Monday”, the-feelings-will-soon-pass meltdown? Or, have you noticed withdrawn behavior, more-agitated-than-usual responses, and an all-around complete and total disdain for school altogether? We all have days when we want to throw in the towel and try something new. But, if your child’s aggravation towards their academic institution and everyone in it is a recurring nightmare each morning, then something is clearly bothering them outside of preteen apathy, so commonplace among our youth.
Is it that they are struggling academically, having a hard time keeping up with the workload and content of such? Are they experiencing discord with friends or classmates, drastically impacting their social interactions and ability to feel a part of community? Has their self-esteem hit the skids, and they are feeling incredibly self-conscious about their changing physical appearance?
Any and all of these could serve as rationale for a child being reticent to bound into school each day. And, together—you and I—need to work on finding out the reason(s) why. Only then can we assist your child with finding solutions to that which seeks to negatively impact their view of school and everything in it.
Every minute of instruction that your child misses due to either a late arrival or an early dismissal diminishes their academic growth. Sure, it might not seem like a big deal to miss a Math lesson here or there, or a Phonics activity, or the review of Science definitions. But, believe me when I tell you that even the smallest cracks in a child’s educational foundation can be detrimental to their future success.
So, forge a family pact—to go to bed a few minutes earlier, to hit the snooze button a few less, and commit to making on-time arrivals to school each day an attainable goal for you and your children. For, in the words of William Shakespeare, “Better three hours too soon than a minute late.”
