Have you recently found yourself struggling to get your child up for school each day? Lots of parents struggle with this issue. Here are some of the key steps that you can take.

Think About Bedtime 

As a starting point, it’s worth considering whether your child’s bedtime is the issue here. On average, everyone needs about 8 hours to function effectively throughout the day. If your child isn’t getting eight hours each night, then they might struggle to wake up in the morning and they could feel totally exhausted. This can be a problem on Monday morning if they have done a lot through the weekend. The first thing that you should do is make sure that you keep bedtimes consistent. It’s tempting to let your kids stay up late some nights whether it’s to watch a film, spend more time with you or spend time with their brother or sister. However, this is a mistake as it will throw them totally off balance. 

Similarly, not all kids go to sleep when they are put to bed. Some struggle because they are scared of the dark. Others don’t have the right bedtime routine. If you are giving your child a sugary snack before bed this is going to keep them awake. The same is true when using technology which can completely disrupt their sleeping pattern. It can stop them reaching the deepest level of sleep and mean that even small noises or disturbances wake them up through the night. 

Reward Systems 

Next, you might want to think about exploring the option of a reward system. Some children will need to be provided with different incentives to go to school each day and work hard. This is something to consider if your child is struggling to get up each morning. Systems like this are often incorporated in school environments with materials with incentives laid out on the wall of the classroom. 

However, you can also utilize a similar reward based system or structure at home to encourage your child to go to school, complete their homework or work hard. When you are setting up a reward system, you need to make sure that it makes sense. Don’t be too outlandish with your ideas here because this can lead to problems. For instance, you need to make sure that the reward offered is something that your child wants to work towards. You also need to make sure that there’s a constant reward structure instead of a one off reward that your child can quickly forget about. 

Speak To The School 

If you are struggling to get your child to go into school each day, then it could be worth speaking to the school, their teacher, and the principal. It might feel like you are alone dealing with this issue, but that’s not the case. A school will always be willing to help if there are signs that a parent is struggling to attend school each day. This could include getting a support worker over to your house to encourage your child to get up and go to school. A lot of children will immediately respond to a situation like this because it will help them understand the severity of the situation. It’s common for kids to struggle to understand why they need to go to school and why it matters if they don’t. This is particularly true for younger children who might struggle to get up regularly each morning at the same time. 

Of course, there is another reason why it’s worth speaking to the school if you are struggling to get your child up each morning. This brings us to the next point that is worth considering here. 

Find Out What’s Going On 

It’s easy to assume that a child is not getting up to go to school because they are feeling particularly stubborn or just don’t want to learn. However, more often than not, there is going to be an underlying reason for this type of behavior. As mentioned, it’s possible that your child is too tired to get up in the morning and function effectively. But it could also be due to something that is happening when they are at school. 

For instance, you might find that your child is being bullied while they are at school. Parents often tend to hope that bullying is a rare occurrence for kids. However, the reality is that the statistics don’t support this notion at all. Instead, some reports suggest that 70% of children will be bullied at some point during their school life before the age of eighteen. Bullying can be quite severe and it’s happening under the surface, then the effects will be more significant. That’s why it’s important to get a grip on a situation like this and correct it as quickly as possible. This is why it is important to talk to professionals at the school directly. They might already be aware of a problem like this. You should also strive to ensure that you have an open dialogue with your child. It’s important that they feel they can tell you when they have issues like this. Bullying will have a massive impact on your child’s mental health, and it can be worth looking into other education options, such as the Eva Carlston Academy, which works with girls to overcome mental health obstacles and thrive in a supportive environment.

Find Ways To Make Learning Fun And Interesting 

Finally, you need to make sure that you are taking steps to make the learning experience more fun and interesting for your child. One of the ways that you can do this is by focusing on building learning experiences about things that they are interested in. For instance, you could work with a teacher to ensure that something like Pokemon is embedded into a math lesson. This is just one example. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you should take if you are struggling to get your child up and ready for school each day. Remember, one of the best things that you can do here is set up a structure that they can follow. By setting up a morning structure, you can ensure that getting up feels almost second nature to your child.