Rita’s son Aman is five years old. Almost every morning mother and son have a battle getting ready for school. They need to leave the house by 7 am.
From the moment he wakes up at 6 o’clock, Aman is expected to brush his teeth, bathe, comb his hair, get dressed, eat breakfast and fill fresh water in his water bottle. Most mornings, while halfway to getting dressed, he begins to play. At this point Rita feels maybe she is rushing Aman and expecting too much from him. How does she deal with it?
This is a very common occurrence since it is the first step in the socialisation process of the child. It is a child’s first encounter with the concept of ‘limits’ and he or she explores it in many ways.
Therefore we see many young children ruffle their hair just when their mothers have combed them neatly. Or they run around the room showing an unwillingness to wear their clothes and bargain for gifts in the event of obeying their parents.
Many a parent has had little choice but to agree with the child in such situations.
The Morning Rush [Illustration by Shiju George]
- It would be a good idea if you could probably pay more attention to your child’s routine in the morning.
- If the school your child attends has no uniform, involve her in picking out clothes the night before. That would save a lot of time in the morning.
- Try waking up a little earlier in the morning. You will have time to assist in your child’s morning routine of bathing, getting dressed as well as getting out of the door and into the school bus! Try not to do anything else while helping the little one – that’s why you need the extra time.
- Going to bed on time would help your child wake up more easily in the mornings and without too much fuss.A five-year-old is able to do most of the things that Aman does, on his or her own. It’s just a matter of establishing a routine which the child will get used to.Although it may sound difficult and time-consuming, it is probably the best way to set your child on the road to independence. When you see her make the effort to attend to every chore his or her own, you will notice a change in the child’s attitude – showing less dependence and more confidence.
As your child accomplishes one task after another, a generous amount of praise and encouragement would be in order.
