Every parent’s goal is to do the best they can for their kids, give them a childhood that is filled with happy memories, let them live their best quality of life. Autism or homeschool, these autism morning routines are the way to fulfill them.
None of this happens overnight. Start small and make little tweaks as needed. It takes an awful lot of effort, investment and thought as a parent to make sure that this happens. Any autism parent knows that having an established routine is a sure fire way to keep everyone relatively happy.
Autism Morning Routines
The family morning routine can set the tone for the entire day. A smooth-sailing morning and you’re all ready to tackle whatever the day brings. A mad rush out the door clutching a breakfast bar, papers flying and shoes untied, and you’ll all need a nap by noon. Well, I always need a nap by noon but such is the life of an autism mom with Grave’s Disease.
A well planned morning routine helps autistic children handle problems, do well in homeschool, and get along with others far better than if they start the day rushed and unorganized. Parents should plan out a morning routine, writing down a detailed schedule of what needs to be done in the morning and how it can be done with a minimum of stress.Try to set the bar low so you can find success
If your family’s morning routine is rushed, chaotic and full of frustration, first evaluate exactly what is happening in the mornings.
- What are the key things that get your attention and get you angry?
- A child who won’t get out of bed until the third call?
- A child who takes 10 minutes to put on his socks?
- Identify these situations and start responding to them in ways that will make your morning routine easier.
Here are some tips for streamlining your autism morning routine into a smooth ride for the entire family.
- Get enough sleep. No matter how well organized your morning routine is, you need to be well rested to handle it. The first key to a great morning is to have had enough sleep. If you don’t already have a good bedtime routine for your kids, get one.
- Get up before your children. In order to lead the children in an efficient morning, parents need to be awake and ready to start the day ahead of time. For us, this was a safety issue so the morning person parent aka Dad executed this routine while I executed bedtime.
- Set things out the night before. Set out their clothes so their is no drama in the morning.
- Do as much as you can the night before. Encourage your kids to shower the night before instead of in the morning, clear off the table and set it for breakfast. Pack lunches the night before if you happen to be going out and keep them in the fridge, ready to grab and go.
- Schedule extra minutes into your routine. If you’ve scheduled your kids’ morning down to the minute, you have set your autistic child up for failure. Only do what needs to be done and have lots of time to do it.
- Give them a reward for smooth mornings! Tell your kids if they can get through a morning without yelling, threats, or excessive rushing, they’ll get a sticker on a chart, a candy in their lunch, or another appropriate reward.
- Don’t lump your kids together. Kids are different and need different types of encouragement in the mornings to get things done. Let each of your children have input on their own personal morning routine. If one child needs more time, get him up earlier. If another child needs more time to eat breakfast, allow that for him. Allow each of your children to have a schedule that works for him, instead of running a boot camp group operation.
- Keep things close to the door. Organize your mudroom or entryway so that coats, hats, gloves, shoes, and anything else your child needs for the day are all near the doorway.
- Use written reminders. Keep a white board or a chalkboard near the back door and have your children write down reminders to themselves. Put it in a spot where it can be seen as you’re leaving the house.
Routine is key in order to get everything done with as little resistance as possible. Get up at the same time every day. Have things set up in a way that everyone can find them in their place. Leave the house with plenty of time so that you can deal with incidents that may arise without being late. This helps to reduce, if not eliminate stress which will help to create a calmer, happier environment.
