kindergartener can't get to school on time. Any suggestions?

[babynurse244]

My daughter started kindergarten this year. She loves school, but getting her out the door in the mornings is a nightmare. She won't go potty, won't get dressed, runs and hides behind the sofa. Im currently on 2 more weeks of bedrest with a twin pregnancy, scheduled CS on 10/26, so I'm not much help in the mornings. She's making us crazy. She also goofs off, laughs and hides behind the sofa and won't come out until we physically drag her. She's late at least once a week requiring we get a tardy slip. I don't know how to motivate ger to get out the door in the mornings. Any suggestions? She gets enough sleep and we're allowing enough time, but having to force her to do things and chase her suck up every minute we have. We've taken away TV and her StarFall time and that doesn't seem to phase her or she isn't making the connection.

[Lydlou02]

I think yoy issue is more with your DH than the kid. He needs to step in and take care of business like a man. You shouldn't have tp worry about getting her to school, your on bedrest. You should be laying down resting.
I'd suggest getting her up at the last second, helping her get dressed, varying her out to thecar if nessisary and giving her a granola/fruit/cereal bar for breakfast that she can eat on the way.

[mjande4]

This!  After her classmates make comments on her coming to school in her pj's once or twice she will get her act together.

Quoting natesmom1228:

Make her go to school in whatever she is dressed in at the time. She needs to know who is in control.

[icn_mom]

What is her bed time? Possibly setting an early bed time will help her be more rested and maybe a little less rambunctious? and maybe have you tried a morning schedule with her? wake up dress hair eat tv...? I put my dd (in kindergarten too!) to bed @ 7pm and she wakes up around 7. She gets out of bed I dress her do her hair and allow tv while she eats breakfast. I put her bad w/ a sweater by the door so when its time i get her jacket on and out the door she goes!!! GL

[ddhb2007]

Reward her for getting ready on her own instead of taking things away.  My daughter had problems getting ready for daycare / preschool.  We made getting dressed her responsibility.  If she was ready when I came down from my shower she earned 1 episode of Dora (she was only two). It worked slick.  We rarely have any problems now that she's five.

[babynurse244]

It's a really small school, most of the kids walk with their parents. She does have a friend in the neighborhood, but she (the neighbor child) goes to religious instruction prior to school, so she can't walk with her.

Quoting AleaKat:

Oh, maybe see if she can carpool with a friend it might motivate her to see her friend in the morning

Quoting babynurse244:

No buses where we live. The school is seriously a quarter mile away. I eas walking her in the mornings before I was put on bedrest.

Quoting AleaKat:

Have her ride the bus

 

[ambercates]

I have a kindergarten child also, I start waking him up at least 15 mins before its time to get up! I let him watch cartoons while he wakes up. I then tell him to go potty and brush his teeth. I dress him just to cut down on the drama! We also have a 8 month old in the mix so our mornings are crazy! You just have to be firm with her, and let her know you need her to get up and go to school!

[elizabg]

Honestly, she is playing games to get your attention.  I having new siblings is a big change.  I would tell her once to do something then ignore her.  Tell her if she does not get ready that you will make her go to school in her pajamas.  I few mornings of this and she should realize that her games won't work to get attention. 

[babynurse244]

Hey! I didn't know you were in this group too!!!

Yeah, beginning to think it's another DuH issue. He doesn't understand the need to get her to school on time. This morning when I called him because I thought there is no way they made it from the time they left the house, he told me she made it on time. When I pressed him he said "by my definition or the school's?" As far as I'm concerned, they need to be the same. When I point blank asked him if she had to get a tardy slip, he said he got there as they locked the doors (they screen everyone, doors are only open from 8 - 0810 for drop off and  only people the teachers know are allowed in and only to drop off kids) so yes, he had to take her to the office to get a tardy slip. He said "she was just one minute late". I don't care. It's rude and disruptive to the class and I don't want my DD thinking this is okay.

I sent the teacher an e-mail. I was the one taking her to school until I was put on bedrest, she knows I'm pregnant with twins, so I explained the whole situation (including the DuH issues) and I'm waiting to hear back from her.

We've tried rewards and taking away privileges, she'll cry and it seems like she isn't making the connection between her behavior in the morning and the loss of privileges or reward.

Quoting AmandaMichele:

His butt will care if the truancy officer shows up.

I know you are super pregnant you can just turn into mean mommy like me. She has 2 choices on what to wear. She picks and that is the end of the story. I have sent her to school without eating breakfast. Well she got a bag a fruit to eat on the way. She knows that when the clock say 7:20 we leave ready or not.

Quoting babynurse244:

It had crossed our minds. It just makes me nutso that DH never seems to care about being on time, I'm afraid he's transferring that to our daughter. And the school considers her late. She does need to get there on time. I understand it disrupts the class.

Quoting mckinneymom918:

What if the mornings were used to earn her screen time? Like, for everything done WHEN asked earns 5 minutes of screen time. Get/make a board where she can put stickers on what she's done as asked on the way to school. And then maybe if she earns all her stickers all week, she receives a special something after school Friday. My kids will do about anything for the dollar ice creams at McDonald's!



Also, it sounds like she's reacting to the arrival of the twins. Which I'm sure you have considered :) we recently went thru the same thing with our 4 year old. We just had a baby sept 1, and probably from the beginning of August til like a week ago we were having daily bouts of crazy misbehavior. My advice would be to stand your ground! You will all come out stronger on the other side.



Good luck!

[babynurse244]

It's not a getting her out of bed issue. She gets up fine. It's the foot dragging and having to physically force her to do everything, and then dad just not being able to get her out the door.

I'm waiting to hear back from the teacher.

Thanks for all of your suggestions! I really appreciate how fast everyone jumped in to help me out!!!

[GGsMommy07]

Goin thru the same. I have a newborn (1 month). Luckily I am healed and everything so I have to physically get her ready. If I left it up to her solely we would b late everyday. If ur husband is home in the morning I suggest him getting her ready for u. I think its a jealousy/ attention getter thing. She sees ur preg and can't move so she takes advantage of that. Also knows babies r coming so trying to get all the attn she can get now. Won't get any better after the babies r born...sorry to tell u. :( good luck!!!