Getting 6 Year Old up for School

Updated on October 13, 2011
J.E. asks from Northbridge, MA
13 answers

I was looking for any moms that has experienced this issue. My 6 year old daughter loves school but is NOT a morning person and does not like getting out of bed to get ready for school..I have tried to put her to bed earlier and if she does fall asleep she still does not want to get out of bed in the morning or she will end up not falling asleep until later anyway..I get frustrated because she comes close to missing the bus by seconds almost every day, I work, have 2 younger boys, and therefore I am not able to drive her in. I tell her its time to wake up and she just doesnt get out of bed or she does then lays on the couch or the floor, and is so slow to actually get moving. I do not allow the tv in the am and I have also tried to wake her up earlier..any suggestions on what else may help get her out of bed so we are not rushing around and arguing every morning during the week? I thought another persons outlook may help! Thanks!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

THank you EVERYONE for all of your ideas/suggestions! I have a lot to try now and I am confident that something WILL work for her! The shower worked this AM but I know with her I will have to change it up a little!

Featured Answers

♥.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Well, people think I'm crazy when I tell them this but it really does work great for us....

I often have my daughter sleep in what she's going to wear the next day. We stick with comfy clothing (no jeans). It's one less thing that we have to do in the mornings & the clothes don't get wrinkly or dirty! We have the shoes sitting by the door and socks picked out and waiting. Or another thing we've done is the closet organizers that have the five sections, one section per outfit (Mon-Fri).

4 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.H.

answers from Detroit on

I send the toddler in to wake her up. I also wrote out a morning schedule with her so I can tell her how much time she has left. She moves a little faster when she finds out she's dawdling away her breakfast time and I don't have to nag as much.

3 moms found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Houston on

We have the same issue with our 6 yr old daughter from time to time. When she's having trouble getting up, I literally get her out of bed and walk her to the bathroom (Weekend at Bernie style, lol) It's not every morning but every now and then. Takes a few moments and she is fine from there on. It's worth it to me, so I can go on from there and know she is up and going. Good Luck

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.K.

answers from Dallas on

Our twins are almost 6. Here is what is working with them. Every night they pick out their clothes and hang them on the closet door for one and bedroom door for the other. I got them an alarm clock and set it across the room so they have to get up to turn it off. It is set for 6:30. I told all 3 of my kids that they need to be leaving their rooms by 7:00 with beds made and clothes/shoes on. If they beat that time, I make a big deal of it. If they don't, they have less time for breakfast and I pick what they will eat. I do give consequences if they are just messing around and wasting time. (This sounds lame but they lose their dessert after dinner that night. Blows my mind but they get really upset!! Whatever works!) My husband takes them to school at 7:25 so they MUST be ready or he will be late for work.
Our son isn't as easy but the frustration of having his little sisters beat him to the kitchen most mornings is helping to get his tail in gear.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

well, my kid is only 4, but what I do with her is we pick her clothes and everything out the night before, and I start warning her 10 minutes before she has to get up that it's almost wake up time, then 7 minutes, then 3 minutes, then time to get up. It's what my Grandma would do for me, and it works for us.

3 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

What you are describing could have been our daughter, but we figured out what would work for the 2 of us all the way through her high school years. We did like Sara B.. We would have her wake up 10 minutes earlier than necessary with a choice, do you want 5 more minutes?

Most times she said yes.. Then after 5 minutes. If she was not up. Do you need 5 more minutes?

She usually would do the 5 more again and then get up on her own.. We were right on time for her to be up..

Our daughter is still in no way a morning person. We made an agreement no big conversations in the mornings, not a lot of questions in the morning. To accomplish this, we talked about what would she be wearing the next day?

For the week we reviewed what was for lunch.. it was written on the calendar.. All paperwork that needed to be signed or needed money had been taken care of the night before and was in her back pack.

Breakfast for the week had also been decided on when I went to the grocery store the week before. Smoothies, cereal, toast, breakfast tacos, Quesadillas etc.. So not fit throwing was necessary.

I also kept a balance of money n her lunch card in case we were too late to make up a lunch.

Just brainstorm together about some solutions.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

You are taking me back in time! My son was JUST like that. Every morning was a battle and torture for me.
He loved school. Great student. Just not a morning person.
What I did was found something he really liked to do (in his case Wii baseball) and I told him if he was up, dressed, had eaten, etc. by xyz, he could play for about 15-20 minutes.
My oldest brother had a different approach with my nephew (who was exponentially worse than my son!). Morning #1--nephews favorite toy on the dresser. Warned to get up. Smashed the toy. Morning #2? I don't think there WAS a morning number 2!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.V.

answers from San Francisco on

Get her up earlier and WALK her to the shower....first a little cold and then a nice warm wake up? If she doesn't like it, she will change her routine.

Blessings.....

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Houston on

Try putting on her favorite music. It gets my kids up and puts them in good moods!

2 moms found this helpful

H.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

I try to get my 6 yr old daughter excited about something. I will get her up a little early to let her have a shower before school and without her little brother around. Or I will get her excited about breakfast. "I am making your favorite pancakes this morning", it usually gets her going. I can be a big briber at times. I will offer special things like a hershey kiss in her lunch box if she gets up and gets going.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.A.

answers from Little Rock on

I don't have an issue with getting them up in the morning, but I do have an issue with my youngest son waiting to the last minute and the threat of Dad leaving him at home before he will get dressed. He will sit on the couch in his unders for 30 minutes or so talking and playing etc. but not getting dressed. He does not want help getting dressed even when he finally gets motivated with the thought of Dad leaving him. I am only allowed to tie his shoes for him. It is so frustrating.

1 mom found this helpful

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

my son does this too. have you thought of putting shoes and socks in her backpack and letting her leave barefooted? say, if she is dragging her feet and doesn't have her shoes and socks on when the bus comes. i think some kids are just by nature dawdlers. my son is one. since he is still in preschool, and they feed him breakfast, thank goodness all he has to do is get dressed and brush his teeth. i don't ban tv or playing in the morning - but he doesn't get either until he is READY FOR SCHOOL. i also bribe him, i admit...if he gets up and gets ready fast enough sometimes we have time for some cuddles on the couch before we have to go. you gotta find something that she considers "worth it".....

it is a CONSTANT battle. i am always looking for new ideas too!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.K.

answers from Kansas City on

My 7 yo loves cartoons. So, the faster he gets up/dressed/eats/brushes hair and teeth/lunch made, the more time he has to watch cartoons before the bus. Until bus time, the TV selection is his, not mine, not his brother's, HIS. That motivates him most times.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions