For the last 2 weeks my 6 yr old daughter has been fighting us on getting up for school. She claims she is tired and wants to stay in bed. School starts at 7:45 and I get her up at 6 Am. Her sister gets up with out a problem. This morning she refused to get out of bed. We have tried everything to get her out of bed. She has lost watching her TV to her cheerleading and she still continues to do this!! She is in bed at 7 and won't fall alsleep till about 9. sits in bed and plays and talks to herself. I am at a total lose on what to do! She plays outside and it doesn't seem to wear her out! Any ideas on what to do to get her to go to sleep when she goes to bed?
2006-09-19 04:23:12 · 18 answers · asked by kolowski4 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
They go to at 7 because they have to be on school for 7:45. They need time to get dressed, eat and get their hair done. We live in the country so the kids go in earlier because when they get out they have chorse, homework and extra activities!!
2006-09-19 04:51:17 · update #1
For what it's worth, this is a problem most parents face with at least one child, at some point. My kids used to do it too and my oldest son was the worst of the lot. She doesn't really want to stay in bed as much as she just doesn't want to go to school most likely. Sounds like a kindergarden, who really liked preschool because she could play all the time, and now she is a "big girl" who is having to do a bit of work. The new wore off school and now she wants to go back to preschool. Her bedtime is also possibly a bit early and she may genuinely not be tired enough to sleep at 7pm. Maybe 8 would work a little better.
I'd have a talk with the young lady and find out what it is about school that she's not liking. If it's just the usual stuff, you can explain some ways to help make things better. Then you need to have a real discussion on the fact that she still has to get up and go. It's not like she or you have another option here.
With my son, after we had our talk, I warned him that we couldn't have the fight over getting up every morning because we just didn't have the time for it. I warned him he'd get one gentle wakeup call, the next not so gentle, and a third definitely unpleasant wake up. I used to start with a wakeup call at 6am. At 6:05 I turned on the overhead light and completely removed the covers. At 6:10, I came back and grabbed said child by the feet and pulled him down to the end of the bed into a seated position. I applied an ice cold washrag to his face and marched him to the bathroom for the usual morning call. By then he was not happy with me, but he was up and awake.
Bedtime was 8:30, in bed, lights off. Each time there was a problem getting up in the morning, bedtime was backed up 30 minutes. If the next morning required a third visit to wake, bedtime backed up another 30 minutes- to 7:30. I didn't force him to go to sleep, but it was in bed with the lights off- period.
Only once did he return to bed after he left the bathroom. I visited the fourth time with a glass of ice water, which I poured on him. Yeah, the sheets got wet- but they went into the dryer and he couldn't very well sleep in a wet cold bed.
The thing is, you have to do what ever it takes to get her out of bed. If she can get away with this sort of thing now, you may as well sign it off for the future. You have to let her know you aren't going to back off the demand she get up in a decent amount of time. She may not ever be a real sunshine in the mornings, heaven knows I never have been either- but things aren't going to change just because she doesn't like getting up. My son wasn't very happy either, but when he fussed I pointed out that I had given him fair warning, and plenty of chance to do it himself the easy way. If he didn't like the rude method of being dragged out by the feet, he'd get himself seated on the side of the bed when I came in the first time. As long as he was moving, I didn't push things. We had breakfast at 6:30, and if he didn't make it in time, he would get one of those instant breakfast shakes to drink on the way to school. (Plain vanilla, by the way- not chocolate, his favorite flavor of everything!). After a week or so, he decided it was easier to do it the first call, and after a few liquid breakfasts he decided to speed up getting dressed. So, get tough on that young lady, stay firm and she'll come around. Good luck with your non-morning chick.
2006-09-19 05:01:29 · answer #1 · answered by The mom 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My 6 year old son is the exact same way. What we have found that works well for him is to start the night before by helping to settle him down for the evening-no television, he gets a story read to him, and then is given 15 minutes afterwards to read to himself and then it's lights out. We also use calming music for him at night. His diet is also modified to have little processed foods and dyes.
In the morning, we do a pre-wake up where we get him up 15 minutes before he actually gets moving and let him crawl into our bed to snuggle with us. This starts him moving and at 6:30 he is popped into the shower. He is given until the count of 3 to get in, and if he makes it, he receives a frog-20 frogs and he gets a prize(the frogs can also be taken away for not making it). He takes a 5 minute shower and then gets out and will get dressed immediately. If he is dressed and downstairs eating his breakfast by 6:45, he gets another frog. He has until 7 to eat his breakfast-again, he earns a frog for making it on time, then he has 10 minutes to brush his teeth, wash his face and get his shoes on and make sure his lunch is in his back pack. So, he can earn up to 4 frogs in the morning. At the end of the week, if he has kept to the schedule all week, he can earn a special prize, such as a new book, or a trip to the children's museum. Then it is a 1/2 hour drive or more for us to get to school and have him there by 7:50. We have the routine posted in several parts of the house and he has a watch to see what time it is. But, routine, rewards, and consistency are key to him getting going in the morning.
2006-09-19 07:18:20 · answer #2 · answered by Misty T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like maybe something at school is bothering her? Was she this way last year? I have an 11 yr old who was always a bear to get up! I never knew she hated school! She's very social, very low sugar diet ( you may look into how much sugar she consumes and caffine). This year she loves her teacher, I have been more active and gotten gma and gpa involved too! She now gets up before the alarm to hvae timeto fix her hair nicely! I feel your pain. Maybe instead of 7 try 8 which works for mine but read or do something to calm her before bed. I know if i go to bed before i'm ready i toss and turn longer than if i'd waited until i was tired... Good luck!
2006-09-19 05:03:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
1) The germans have been using valerian to settle their kids down for a hundred years. Even doctors prescribe it for infants there. See if you can get some flavored valerian online or at a healthfood store and sneak it into a drink at bedtime. It stinks to high heaven so flavored is necessary. It will just take a week of this and she should not need it as going down early becomes a habit. Of course, research this all for yourself, too.
2) TV before bed isn't good. It actually can make some kids have trouble getting into a deep sleep. Reading stories is best.
3) Keep putting her down early. Later will not help because she very probably really is tired.
4) However be sure to also investigate if there is something about school she wants to avoid and help her solve it.
Good luck!
2006-09-19 04:48:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why do you get her up so early? Why is she in bed at 7? Thats way too early. Do you drive her to school or does she take the bus? Have her pick her clothes out the night before and make bedtime 8:45PM. In the morning, there is no reason getting ready should be more then 30 mins.
Going to bed at 9 is not being a night owl by any means. My kids bedtime was at 9PM starting at the age of 6. I get them up at 6:50 to catch a 7:35 bus.
It really should not take an hour to do the morning routine especially if they do not shower in the morning. Regardless of that, trying to get her to bed at 7 is strange. Start the routine at 8 PM and lights out at 8:30.
2006-09-19 04:32:16 · answer #5 · answered by KathyS 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I agree with Katz that 1 hour 45 minutes is way too much time to get ready. I am assuming that the school is not too far away - at the most it should take her no more than 15 minutes from door to door. If it is more, you might consider moving to a school closer to home.
Here are somethings you can do apart from what Katz has suggested -
Let her take her bath in the night- saves time - all she needs to do in the morning is brush her teeth and wash her face.
Pack her school bag before bed
You can also try to give her something like a banana and a cereal bar or something that she can eat while walking to school ( I do that with my son sometimes - he has a glass of milk at home and carries the cereal bar to eat on way to school).
That way it takes all of 15-20 minutes to get up and be ready!
2006-09-19 04:39:52 · answer #6 · answered by estee06 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Instead of putting her to be so early try putting her to bed 30 mins earlier than 9pm do this for a week. See if that makes any difference.
She just might be BORED or DEPRESSED. Kids at her age can get depression. Not enough sleep can do this also.
Get her in for a complete medical check up as well as a mental health evaluation.
Eliminate ALL SUGARS from her diet. Have her drink MORE WATER.
2006-09-19 04:37:27 · answer #7 · answered by jennifersuem 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It might not that she's too tired to go to get up. Maybe something happened at school that is making her not want to go. Have you sat down with her during the day to ask her why she's feeling like this?
As for the going to sleep when its her bedtime, maybe you can try this. Get some children's audiobooks and play them when she goes to bed. She can lie in bed in the dark and listen to whatever book she (or you) chose. It could relax her enough that she'll just fall asleep. It works for me, and I know a lot of parents who do this with their children.
2006-09-19 04:33:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I know the feeling my 5 year old is so hard to wake up in the morning well anytiime she goes to sleep. personally i make mine get up what ever i got to do ( feel me) i put a cold rag on her face tickle her or just pull her out of bed. But really you need to talk to her the night befor and see what the problem is. and let her know the reprecussions of what she does and be persistant with them. some people are just not morning people but you also gotta do what you gotta do.
2006-09-19 04:34:49 · answer #9 · answered by Sexy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Katz.. you are getting her up too early. If she wont fall asleep until 9:00 let her have a later bed time. try letting her stay up until 8:30 pm and let her sleep a little later. my daughter goes to bed at 9:00 and gets up at 7:00 am. her bus comes at 7:30 and this gives her plenty of time to get ready in the morning.
2006-09-19 04:36:54 · answer #10 · answered by sea_sher 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My 8 year old is the same way, try giving her a warm bath right before bedtime, that usually makes him go right to sleep. then in the morning make it a race to see who can get up and dressed the fastest and have little certificates for the person who wins, eventually, she will get tired of seeing her sister get all the certificates and want a few for herself. This worked for me.
2006-09-19 04:33:52 · answer #11 · answered by RNbaby 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋