How to Help Your Child

Have a Successful Morning

Do you struggle with stressful mornings when you want to lay your
les
Schedtuines
head down and cry before 8:00 a.m.? Do you often leave the house

& Rou
in an angry, frantic rush? Mornings can be a particularly challenging
time for parents. Getting your entire family up and out the door is
no easy task! It is important to understand that your morning routine

Backpack
serves as the foundation for your family’s entire day. You can create a
morning routine that not only helps your day to begin more smoothly,
but also teaches your child important skills that he needs to become
more independent and confident. A morning routine can also reduce
Connection Series challenging behavior such as crying, whining and tantrums.

About this Series Try This at Home „ Encourage your child. When your child
The Backpack Connection Series was created completes a task and follows the routine,
„ Use a visual schedule with items such as provide positive and specific encouragement.
by TACSEI to provide a way for teachers and
photos, clipart, or objects that shows your For example, say “Wow! You got up and got
parents/caregivers to work together to help
child the steps in his morning routine. This dressed all by yourself! Now we will have a
young children develop social emotional visual schedule can help him to understand few extra minutes to play with trains. What a
skills and reduce challenging behavior. the expectations of the morning routine. great way to start the day!”
Teachers may choose to send a handout To learn more about how to create a visual
home in each child’s backpack when a
new strategy or skill is introduced to the
schedule, go to [Link] and
search the site for “visual schedules” in the Practice at School
class. Each Backpack Connection handout search box located in the upper right-hand Teachers use routines to provide a predictable
provides information that helps parents stay corner of the screen. structure to your child’s day. When a child
informed about what their child is learning „ If your child has trouble waking up in the understands what she should be doing and
at school and specific ideas on how to use the morning, it might be because he is not getting what will come next, she feels less anxiety and
strategy or skill at home. enough sleep at night. Set a consistent bedtime more excited to participate. While the specific
and stick with it. When a child’s bedtime activities in the classroom might change, the
The Pyramid Model changes it can make it harder for him to wake routine does not. For example, while 10:00 may
The Pyramid Model is a frame- up in the morning. For more information on always be art time, the specific craft (painting,
work that provides programs bedtime routines, go to challengingbehavior. cutting, gluing) may vary from day to day.
with guidance on how to org and search the site for “bedtime routines” Children become eager to try new activities
promote social emotional compe- in the search box located in the upper right- because they are confident and comfortable with
tence in all children and design effective hand corner of the screen. the routine.
interventions that support young children „ Plan ahead. Use your bedtime routine to plan
who might have persistent challenging for the next day together. The Bottom Line
behavior. It also provides practices to ensure 1. Lay out the clothes your child will wear. A morning routine is a daily opportunity for
that children with social emotional delays 2. Pack his backpack. you to build and nurture a positive relationship
receive intentional teaching. Programs that 3. Discuss the morning routine, show him with your child. When you follow a repetitive
implement the Pyramid Model are eager to pictures and talk about the day ahead. morning routine you allow your child to gain
work together with families to meet every practice with important skills such as dressing,
„ Give your child some power over his morning
child’s individualized learning and support bathing and grooming and give him a feeling of
routine by offering reasonable choices. For
needs. To learn more about the Pyramid example, “First, get dressed. Then, you get confidence and success. A calm, loving morning
Model, please visit [Link]. a choice! Would you like to have cereal or routine at home sets the tone for the entire day
for both you and your child.
More Information „
pancakes for breakfast?”
Include bonding time in your morning
More information and resources on this
routine. Time to read, bathe or snuggle will
and other topics are available on our
help your child feel loved and calm as he
website, [Link]. begins his tasks for the day.

Reproduction of this document is encouraged. Permission to copy is not required.

[Link] Children funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education (H326B070002) and
updated by the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations also funded by OSEP (H326B170003). The views expressed
do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. July 2013/January, 2018.