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Oh, we've dealt with the same issues at our house with DS7. It has taken me awhile to realize I need to work things around his needs and to finally use some of my tools from OT to help out! Here are my suggestions:

Allow him plenty of time to actually wake up in the morning. He sounds like he is a slow riser. My son is also - just like me! But it took me forever to realize that he just needs more time to physically wake up. So, now I wake him up with enough time for him to lay in bed, roll around, complain, climb into bed with us to watch the news/weather or to snuggle and tickle. It has made all the difference in the world for him to not feel rushed.

Use some sensory strategies to help him with the wake up process. Try music to wake him - I sometimes put my daughters preschool tunes on son's CD player. They can be so obnoxious he HAS to get up to go across the room to turn them off! Or bring him a water bottle with something cold to drink - juice will give him a jolt of sugar as well as the cold sensation to alert his body. You can even try a freeze pop or popsicle if the cold stuff works. Use light to help. I usually open the curtains/blinds or turn on a softer light about 10 minutes before I try to rouse son out of bed. It helps to bring the body out of a deep sleep.

Try touch, too. My son likes soft touches like a back rub or leg rub. Instead of jolting him out of bed by shaking him, I sit quietly and rub his back and start talking to him.

For the routine, you could try a checklist in his room or wherever he is when getting ready. Keep it simple, but let him know that these are the 6 steps (or however many there are) that he needs to get done. And ditto on the TimeTimer. Those are wonderful!!!!!! I use one in every OT session and have used it at home for getting kids to eat their meal in a reasonable amount of time and get things done faster.

Do you need to move back bedtime? This is an issue for us. My son fights going to sleep but then doesn't get up in time in the morning. So getting to bed on time is really the core of the problem for us.

Does he respond to rewards? Definitely offer a reward that is meaningful to him if he can get out of the house for a whole week straight.

You've had lots of good suggestions from others - I hope some of it helps you. Hang in there. You aren't alone!!!!

My DS actually also has his own alarm clock and we use a timer during our breakfast/reading/chatting time as well. Those are also invaluable to us!

We actually live walking distance to school and lately it has been warm enough to do it. But it is a good 20 minute walk, so sadly it hasn't been happening! We do walk home from school when we can though (which always takes like a hour with playground time, chatting, etc).

Every kid is different. I actually found that screen time in the morning motivated my dd8 to get up and get dressed. She is a Webkinz fan. Apparently on Webkinz you have to wait 8 hours between jobs. My dd discovered that if she gets up early enough in the morning that she can do a job before school and then do another after school. She sets her own alarm and has to be completely dressed and ready to go before she gets on the computer. Now she is usually dressed and ready to go before I even wake up.

I pick out my 7 year old son's clothes too. He could truly care less what he wears and prefers it that way. He has a couple favorite t-shirts (wild and crazy), but doesn't bat an eye if something else comes out. I'm sure my DH wouldn't mind if I'd pick out his clothes too (not happening).

However my 3.5 year old daughter is OCD about what she is going to wear every day. We absolutely must come a consensus about her outfit the night before or it would be a big sobbing fashion fest every morning.

I'm with you here. This is just not a battle I choose at this time with DS4. We would never get anywhere on time if I made him dress himself (he would wear his pjs out). He does put on his own shoes though - thank heavens for slip on merrells and crocs!

I let DS3 dress himself. Often this means he wears shorts over pants and sleeveless shirts in the dead of winter. But with his sensitivities to clothing, those goofy wardrobe choices are way better than the morning fights we'd have if I tried to get him to wear things he doesn't want to wear.

I do tell his preschool teacher that he picked out his own clothes though, so she doesn't think I'm insane!

Funny that we have to use opposite strategies to avoid the same morning problem...

I feel compelled to add my grandmotherly advice regarding dressing vs. self-dressing young kids -




















Whatever works for you!!!! haha, did anyone feel a twinge of guilt before reading my answer? I've learned there is no one right answer that fits all children. I've also learned not to enter a battle of wills when it's not clear that I will win.

Oh, of course, OHG! I'm a big fan of whtever works! I hope I didn't seem to be arguing. I just thought it was amusing that the completely opposite approach worked for me.

Different kids, different tactics...

Oh, Kriston, I didn't see your post as arguing. I liked to see such a wide variety of answers! Kids are so different, and the reasons for not getting up in the morning are so varied that only the parent is going to have an idea of what will work for her/his own child. At this point, I think Squirt needed all the different ideas that worked for others, so she might find another way of handling the situation.

I just saw your post as perfect timing to have a bit of fun trying to invoke some light-hearted guilt, just what a grandma does, isn't it? hahaha.

Oh, sorry to seem mirthless and paranoid! Light-hearted is good! LOL!