Your kids will eventually be able to sit through breakfast and all other mealtimes as they mature. If they need to do a lap mid-meal, it’s OK. Some behaviors, like standing to eat, are biological responses that can’t be helped. These breakfast-time tips won’t instantly change a child’s ability to sit quietly while eating, so be flexible. This will also instill responsibility in them as they come to understand their part in having an organized, efficient morning. The more involved they are, the more likely they will eat the food that is prepared. Your children may not be able to use a knife or stove, but they can pass things, break eggs, or set the table. You can prepare a batch of batter for quick pancakes, slice fruit and stick it in the fridge, cook sausages so they can quickly heated up in the microwave - the possibilities are seemingly endless. Bonus points for making it easy for your child to prepare breakfast themselves! A chart with the week’s breakfast in the kitchen for all to see can also help. Preparing breakfast with the family on a Sunday, for instance, can make the rest of the week go smoothly. Take the guesswork out of breakfast by co-designing a menu for the week with the family - you’ll reduce morning stress and ensure that your children get the brain food they need to start the day off right. Automate everything you can think of - eventually, your child will do these things on his own. Always take off shoes by the front door and place in a basket, so they don’t get lost in the morning flurry.ģ. A path may look like physically setting out clothes, a favorite hat, a notebook and pen, and a sticky note with a written reminder before going to bed.Ģ. Giving multi-step directions to a child with a working memory deficit means they may hear only the first or last steps, so visual cues can help. Shape your child’s path by using visual prompts or morning routine checklists that remind them what to do or ensure that potential distractions are out of sight. Here are other ideas to make the most out of a morning routine:ġ. You’ll soon note that the kids will start to plan ahead themselves and come to feel more secure about the week ahead. The weekly overview, therefore, should be reviewed every night with everyone in the family. While steps in my morning - like brushing your teeth or making the bed - may not change on a daily basis, erratic changes like dentist appointments, a hockey tournament, or a school project can certainly throw off mornings and create unpredictable situations. To counter erratic mornings, start by creating a weekly overview of what’s to come. It starts with preparation days before, along with communication on best steps to make sure everyone is on the same page. Setting up a good morning routine begins well before the morning of. What Is a Good Morning Routine for ADHD Families? Setting up a clear morning routine can work wonders in putting everyone’s best foot forward. Caregivers, then, need to work on reinforcing these skills for longer than they do for neurotypical children. Their brains are under-stimulated in the area responsible for planning, organizing, and working memory. There’s no magic fix for such chaos when you have one or more kids with ADHD. And then we were late for school – again. As we finally drove off to school, my oldest would turn to me, unprovoked, and say she hates me. The youngest, meanwhile, would sometimes start crying. I’d spend the next 10 minutes shouting orders while pulling on socks. Many mornings would go like this: When I would ask them to get dressed, put homework in backpacks, and meet me by the front door after brushing their teeth, only one would show up, with no shoes or pants on. My other two, meanwhile, would take a bite or two of their protein-filled breakfast while whining for frosted cereal, begging, “Please, can we watch TV?” Before our routine, rousing my oldest was like waking the dead. Without our bullet-proof morning routine, there isn’t enough coffee in the world to help me manage my family’s chaos.
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