Starting a morning routine for your child.
Ahhh the morning. You take that first sip of coffee, get that jolt of caffeine and you are ready for the day! However, sometimes our mornings can feel so go go go! We not only have to get ourselves up and ready and out of the house, but we also have to get our children up and ready. When this happens the mornings can feel more like a sprint, than a slow peaceful marathon!
We all know the importance of a naptime and bedtime routine, as it can be very difficult for a child (or anyone really) to go from a stimulating activity to then laying in their sleep space and immediately falling asleep, so why not add in a morning routine as well?
Routines are so important, because they serve as a transition time for our children, in addition to helping them make positive associations. They provide security and consistency and can help to promote early childhood stimulation and behavior regulation!
So, what if we tried to slow down, and make our mornings more peaceful with a consistent morning routine? Here are some tips.
Slowly wake your child up for the day
Whether your child wakes on their own or you wake them up, slowly begin their day by going in their room, turning their sound machine off, turning on dim lighting (or barely opening the blinds), and talking with them.
This could be a time to connect with simple phrases like “good morning!” “It is so good to see you!” “Did you sleep well?” etc. Let them know you are there and see if they give you any happy smiles back! If your child begins to cry, that’s alright–keep your voice calm and steady and calm them down as they wake up.
You might even take some time to snuggle/cuddle and rock your little one as they are waking up. What is nice about this is that you do not have to necessarily go into their room and immediately turn the main light on, throw the blinds wide open, and speak really loudly to them to let them know it is morning and time to wake up. As adults, most of us wouldn’t care for that either!
Get your child ready for the day
After you have taken time to wake your baby/toddler up for the day and connect with them, begin to take their swaddle/sleep sack off, then pajamas and change their diaper and put their clothes on for the day. As they get older start to incorporate brushing their teeth and hair.
Allow for some quiet play in their room
Once your child is dressed, you can allow for some quiet play in their room. For babies this can be sitting in their crib, laying on the floor doing tummy time or reading books to them. For toddlers, this could be playing with simple toys, doing puzzles, or reading books.
This helps to build a positive association with their room (if they struggle with that) and slowly gets their little brains working for the day!
Feeding/Breakfast
Lastly, depending on your child’s age, offer their first feeding and/or solid foods. Proper nutrition is extremely important for your child’s overall development and is directly connected to your child’s sleep hygiene as well.
Stay consistent but allow your routine to change as your child grows
Following a consistent set of steps is really helpful when it comes to any routine, but it’s also important to understand where your child is developmentally and allow for routines to shift as your little one grows. For example, the routine you have with your newborn may look different than the routine you have with your toddler and that’s perfectly normal and to be expected!
Give these morning routine ideas a try and allow the mornings to be a special time to slow down and bond with your little ones just as your naptime and bedtime routines do as well!
Related Articles:
Three tips for starting a naptime routine.
How to establish healthy habits for your newborn.
Five simple ways to establish a bedtime routine with your baby.