School age arrives pretty quickly. To avoid totally upsetting your child‘s habits, it’s a good idea to establish a new routine as soon as possible. Waking up in the morning is one of the most difficult lessons to learn, so it’s important to get started as soon as possible. In this section, you’ll find out why you should get your child used to a student rhythm from an early age, and how to gently teach him to wake up early for school.
A child’s alarm clock: is it really useful?
Getting ready forkindergarten is no easy task for parents or children, especially on the first day and during the first week. In general, our little ones are used to getting up late. That’s why they’re late for school, and why mom and dad are so stressed about getting theirchildren ready. To avoid this kind of situation every morning, you should get your child used to a routine a few weeks before school starts. With a children’s alarm clock, you can gradually accustom your child to an age-appropriate rhythm. But why a children’s alarm clock rather than a simple alarm clock?
It helps your little one fall asleep
An alarm clock is supposed to wake him up from sleep, not put him to sleep, so how can this type of device help him sleep better? Unlike a normal alarm clock, a child’s alarm clock has several other options.
- For a start, an educational alarm clock always has a nightlight option. This provides a relaxed atmosphere to help your child fall asleep more easily. Some models even project lights in the shape of stars or animals.
- Others are designed with one or more lullabies, and a gentle melody will accompany your little one until he or she falls asleep. This function can also be used as a radio alarm clock to gently wake him from his slumber in the early hours of the morning.
- There are also models with a learning option. Thanks to this feature, your little one won’t necessarily need his parents around to keep an eye on him until he dozes off. It also gives him a little more self-confidence.
A child’s alarm clock is educational
Routine isn’t just about getting a child used to a rhythm. It’s also a matter of teaching them to tell the time, so that they settle in more quickly. An educational alarm clock helps children gradually get used to telling the time. As soon as he understands that it’s time to get up in the morning and get ready, he’ll do so automatically, even if he wakes up well before the alarm goes off (this happens quite often). This will save him having to go back to bed.
A decorative object
Parents always tend to over-decorate their children’s bedrooms. Too many toys here, useless ornaments there – it all just clutters up the room. Sure, some of them add a touch of design, but others are completely useless. So you might as well combine practicality and charm when choosing items for your little one’s bedroom.
A children’s alarm clock meets both these criteria at . In addition to helping your little one learn to tell the time, this item is also decorative. Take a look at our tips for furnishing a small children’s bedroom to add a touch of design to the room.
How do I organize my child’s alarm clock?
Even for adults, getting up in the early hours of the morning can be difficult. That’s why you need to take it easy and get your little one used to it. Of course, you need to be well organized. Here are a few tips to help your child get used to an age-appropriate rhythm.
Be a role model
To encourage your child, you need to show him the way. After all, children learn faster when they copy their parents. So you have to put aside the tiredness of the night before and the urge to wallow in bed. It’s up to you to wake up your little one first.
Give him a routine to follow every morning
A cuddle as soon as you wake up is your child’s morale vitamin. It’ll help him start the day in a happy mood. The rest of the routine needs to be clearly defined, to get him used to being consistent. After waking up, teach him to go straight to the table to eat breakfast and build up his strength. Of course, everything should be ready before he wakes up, so there’s no waiting around. Once he’s full, give him specific instructions, such as washing up, brushing his teeth and getting ready forkindergarten.
Once he’s adapted to this rhythm, he’ll have no trouble getting up early in the morning. It’s also an ideal way to avoid early-morning scolding and unnecessary punishment, since everyone already knows what they have to do.
Be indulgent
A child is not an adult. That’s why you need to be indulgent when it comes to small details that don’t meet your expectations. To avoid stressing your little one out and getting on his nerves, accompany him gently and calmly as he carries out his routine.
You can also take a few precautions. For example, don’t get him dressed until he’s finished breakfast, or until he’s finished his morning routine (brushing his teeth, etc.). This will save you having to get out more clothes and redo everything you’ve already finished.
Once he’s ready, give him a break. Give him ten minutes or so of free time before leavingfor elementary school. This will allow him to decompress a little before plunging into the world of studies.
Watch out for signs of fatigue in the evening
When people are tired, they show obvious signs, such as yawning or nervous tics. Children also show these same symptoms when they want to go to bed. Don’t miss this opportunity to send them off to sleep. This is a passing phase, and doesn’t last very long. If you can’t get them to sleep at this point, it will be a few hours before they are sleepy again. As a result, your little one will sleep late and have trouble getting up early to resume his morning routine.
Teach your child to tell the time
It’s true that children store things in their memory more quickly than adults. However, they may not understand immediately. So it’s vital to get it right when teaching your child to tell the time. Contrary to what new parents may think, this challenge is not so insurmountable, because all it takes is good organization.
Knowing at what age to teach your child to tell the time
These days, many parents embark on their children ‘s digital education at a very early age. Thanks to advances in technology, it’s possible for your little one to handle a smartphone on his own, even at the age of two. Of course, this is due to his insatiable curiosity. But to teach him to tell the time, you have to wait until he can express himself correctly with words. So you’ll have to wait between 3 and 4 years to teach him. Of course, some children are more advanced than others.
It’s also possible to teach him some vocabulary on the different expressions of time as soon as he begins to speak. This serves as a sort of anchor for later learning. To help your little one get used to the clock more quickly, you can also teach him to count to twelve (12), even before he goes to school. There’s no need to go any further, as it’s not a good idea to make him print out too much information early on.
Using an alarm clock for children
First of all, you need to know how to set a child’s alarm clock . The first purpose of this accessory is to teach the time. Many models are designed with a function that announces the time. They are among the ready-to-use products on the market that make your task easier. To keep your child amused and learning at the same time, get products with a lullaby. Some offer the possibility of learning by singing, so that your child can remember the time more easily. All you need to do is accompany your child for a while to help him understand what the song is about.
Of course, you don’t have to do what you would for a teenager or an adult. Don’t force your child to listen to you, or he’ll lose interest. To get an idea of what to do, take a look at a useful guide to learning to tell the time in a fun way.
Asking questions
Questions are an indispensable part of learning. This doesn’t mean asking anything too complicated. This allows you to determine your child’s knowledge.
Nor is it a question of approaching him and suddenly asking him questions about the concept of time. You need to know how to deal with children if you want them to learn faster. Start by playing with him or singing the songs in the children’s alarm clock. Gradually get closer to the subject. You could, for example, point to a number on the clock with your finger and ask him if he knows what number it is. Continue with another and then ask him what time it is if the little hand points to this or that number (your choice). If he answers correctly, congratulate him. If he doesn’t, don’t scold him, but gently correct him.
A routine that’s good for your little one
Getting out of bed is always difficult, especially when it’s cold or when you know it’s going to be a long day. For a child, it’s just as hard. However, whether for parents or their little ones, getting up early is beneficial. Why should you?
For a healthy lifestyle
How does getting up early in the morning help your child maintain a healthy lifestyle?
- For a start, he or she can wake up gently. Doing so in a hurry is never healthy.
- It also allows him to prepare himself quietly and take his time. Remember, a child is still a child. He’ll accompany everything he does with games. If he gets up late, you run the risk of stressing him out too much and scolding him for anything and everything. Otherwise, for example, he can eat calmly at his breakfast table, without disturbing you.
- This also prevents him from getting drowsy during the first hour of school, as all his senses will be alert.
Routine helps you sleep better
It sounds contradictory, but getting up early helps your child sleep better at night. Teach your child to follow a healthier rhythm during the day, so that he or she will sleep better at night. It’s often said that restful sleep is most effective before midnight. Once night comes, he’ll want to sleep early. If he goes to bed around 8 or 9 a.m. at the latest, he’ll have no trouble waking up early the next morning.
Of course, to help him get used to the morning routine you give him, consider giving him a child’s alarm clock. Our top 10 children’s alarm clocks will help you decide which one is best for your little one.
Organizing my child’s alarm clock: our conclusion
Using a child’s alarm clock not only provides your child with a healthy routine, it also helps him learn the time and gain confidence. Of course, your little one learns quickly, but patience is needed to instill this value.
Other parents have different techniques that also work to teach their children to tell the time and follow a daily rhythm . In addition to a morning routine, you also need to teach your child a night-time routine.
What about you? How did you get your child used to going to school? What tips have worked for you? Feel free to share your experience with us in the comments section.