Sleepy mornings? See how to wake your baby

"Another minute ...", "Come on, I'm getting up ...", "Wait a minute, please ...". Which parent has not heard such words in the morning, when, once again looking into the child's room, he saw them blissfully cuddled in the pillow, and time was running out relentlessly ... So: "Hurry up ...", "How many times do I have to wake you up?", "Again by you? we're going to be late¦ ,œ Come on, move on! . And after months of distance learning, the problems will probably get worse because we (both adults and children) have developed different habits that will have to be painstakingly changed when we return to school. Sleepy mornings.

A few words about larks and owls

We believe there are those who by nature don't like waking up early, or those who have the best performance at work at dawn. These habits change with time, which is related to, among others, with different sleep requirements due to age. We know it is, so we just accept it. Things get more complicated when the rhythm of the day is determined by external circumstances, e.g. going to school, kindergarten or work.

Younger children (toddlers) usually wake up early, even very early, with joyful anticipation of the next day of fun. Many parents would like to get some more sleep, but their toddler is effectively preventing them from doing so. We are getting used to such a state. But there comes a time of kindergarten and school, when the child has more and more duties that require concentration, attention and commitment. However, it still needs a lot of physical activity and just fun. That is why the evening is prolonged, the hour of rest is shifted, and yet the morning wake-up time is rigidly defined. Mornings get more and more difficult.

And after a few years, we have a teenager at home, whose body changes cause the time of activity to change. The evenings go on late into the night. The phone, computer, tablet constantly absorb her / his attention, and unconscious mornings are the norm. Energized in the evening (by frequently consumed salty or sweet snacks), apathetic in the morning - instead of calming reading or music, they prefer games, social media, movies, music, which for many adults is simply unbearable in reception. Digitally stimulated, emotionally unstable, often frustrated with their own troubles and age dilemmas. And how can I fall asleep peacefully?

Which can help younger children to joyfully stand up

"Hurry up!" when spoken by loving parents, it becomes a phrase that the child hates. The pressure contained in these two words is so strong that it emotionally moves the child and ... makes it difficult for him to perform activities. It is slower to wash, dress, eat, pack, etc. And the increasingly nervous parent keeps repeating: œFaster! You know we have to leave now. Sometimes she helps the child with nervous movements, dressing, tying shoes, etc. How to avoid it?

A good morning starts in the evening. Before your baby goes to bed, it is a good idea to prepare everything for the next day with him. This can become such a family ritual, when mom and dad sometimes devote their full attention to the child (s) to talk about preparation for school, check school bags together with the children, praise the work done, arrange the selected work for tomorrow on a chair with the child Clothes. Then dinner (nutritious, but light, no sweets that stimulate but also burden the body), talking to children (it is important that they feel like full participants in this conversation), without the TV or laptop turned on, with cells set aside. Before going to bed, it is good to reach for a book and read to your child, or let them read on their own for a few or several minutes, and then calm, calm, fall asleep deeply. Evening rituals help in a peaceful night's rest, which is very important for the child to have energy for the whole day in the morning.

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It is good to combine waking up with a tender gesture (kiss, hug, stroking), instead of throwing from the door: "Get up!" or vigorous knocking, supported by a loud "Wake up!" Avoiding nervousness in the morning will also be strongly related to the time we have at our disposal. Knowing what time we need to leave, it is a good idea to schedule a wake up time so that you don't have to rush your baby. Here again, developed rituals that support both the child and parents will help. The crazy search for a purse that matches a suit, wallet or car keys is not conducive to a good atmosphere. Taking care of these details in the evening will avoid difficult situations in the morning.

How to help a teenager to make the morning pleasant

The rituals will also help the teenager, but here the interference of the parents is much smaller. Even the youngest teens have a very strong sense of independence. They have a great need to make their own decisions about their lives. The irritability to the point of "interference" is very strong. The stronger the parent's pressure (e.g. to fall asleep late), the stronger the resistance. What to do?

If the child had previously developed habits of preparing things for the next day, chances are that - at least in part - the habits will remain. Evening family rituals, such as talking about plans for tomorrow, can also remain, if they are not turned into asking the young person about where and when they will be, and they simply remain an expression of concern for the child's good mood.

The most important thing will be to care for parents to be together, to start conversations on topics that are important and important for a teenage child. Such an occasion is surely a joint dinner and evening. Maybe we can agree that we do not use cells during meals? All. Instead of telling your child every day not to sit in front of the screen until late, it might be better to have a quiet conversation: "I am worried about your health when I see that your computer is turned on late in your room, while you sleep with your phone under your pillow." The prohibitions and orders, apart from worsening the relationship, are unlikely to bring anything more. And even more so, pointing out in the morning: "If you had gone to bed earlier yesterday, now there would be no problem", "You sit at night and I'm late because of you." If this is the case, then we agree: œDue to my professional duties, I leave the house at this time. I can drop you off at school, but I can't delay your departure. " In such a case, the decision rests with the young man. If he doesn't eat breakfast once or twice, it's hard. He will survive. But next time, she might get out of bed earlier.

The art of getting up well requires training, also for the parent. Taking care of the rhythm, anticipating difficulties that may arise in the morning, allow you to take actions that will result in calm and cheerful mornings. Taking care to calm down the child in the evening and preparing for the next day allows you to experience the morning in a good atmosphere, which can also be difficult for the parent himself (because he does not like mornings, because he is already experiencing what awaits him at work, etc.).