My cousin’s daughter will start kindergarten this year and for the past little while they’ve been practicing getting ready on time.  Fortunately for them, a school bus stops near their house each morning (their school is on a multi-track system and a group of kids had already started the school year).  Each morning she’d get her daughter up so she could try and be dressed and have her breakfast eaten before the bus stopped by their house.  It’s working well for them, it’s a fun game and it helps her daughter practice for the day when she will need to be ready in time to get on the bus.

Going from the lazy summer days to the deadlines and schedule of the school year can be a difficult transition, especially for a child just starting school for the first time.  It’s a smart idea to practice getting up earlier and being ready by a certain time before the big day happens. 

Even if there’s no bus to beat, you can still play a game of your own.  Maybe your new kindergartener will need to be ready and dressed before a favorite show comes on, or set a timer and try to beat the buzzer. If you have any appointments during the week before school, consider scheduling them in the morning so you have a place that you need to be ready to go to.  Helping your child prepare in advance will help that first morning go a little smoother.

Alison also blogs at This Wasn’t In The Plan

photo by Frazzled Jen