What kind of morning routine can I develop so my kids of different ages get the help they need to get ready on time?
Expectations of the morning routine are really driven by developmental stages and ages of the kids. If you have a variety of ages in the morning, it is important for kids to have a clear idea of what you expect of them and one way to do that is to make a list of those expectations. For little kids it can be pictures and for older kids it can be a checklist. It is also important to continue that momentum by providing praise throughout the morning. As parents we tend to focus on what's not going well. What is really more helpful and can gain some momentum in the morning routine and what you expect of kids, is to catch them doing it well versus waiting until they're not and then providing discipline or some kind of consequence. It's really difficult to discipline when time isn't on your side and in that morning routine time is rarely on a parent's side. You get farther faster if you can provide some positive reward or acknowledgment for kids staying on task.
