Yesterday I had the pleasure of another interview with Pastor Monica of Christian Television Network. Her show Bridges, airs daily at 9:30 CDT on local channel 21. It is also seen via satellite in much of the country and internationally.
Anyhow, one of the questions she asked was how do you prepare your five year old for kindergarten. Well, that is a very complex question, so I thought rather than rant on about crying mothers and camera toting dads, I decided I would take a more general and long term approach.
My response: Get him/her an alarm clock if you have not already done so. Teach them how to use it at this young age; it’s easier then because they are still excited about getting the day started. Have them set if for the time they need to get up and tell them they can not get up until the clock rings!
Let them be responsible for setting the clock every night. Of course the first few nights they will need to be reminded, but as soon as you see they can do it (usually 3-4 days, not more than 7), stop the reminders! Don’t nag, just be glad they get up when they are supposed to and don’t bother you from before dawn with trips to your room to see if it is time to get up!
This habit will prepare them for life. If they “forget” to set their clock in kindergarten or in the work world, they must face the consequences – miss the bus and stay home from school (work). So what if they miss a day or two of kindergarten it will be worth it in the long run and it’s a whole lot better than missing a morning college class. Whatever you do, don’t let their failure to set the clock make your day rushed or difficult. This is the time to teach them responsibility!
More than once I have had mothers tell me they have to call their kids in college every morning, sometimes more than once, to get them up for classes. “What can I do?” They ask, “If I don’t call, they will sleep right through!”
Don’t call I always say if they miss a few classes they will get the idea that it is their responsibility to get to class, not yours.
Start to give your kids real wings as soon as they start school if not before! They will thank you later, much later! And if they forget, who cares, think of all the nagging you won’t have to do. Try it, you’ll like it!
My interview of last month will be seen on national CTN Monday Aug 8, at 9:30 AM, and 6:00 PM CDT. Check local listings for your channel. I’ll let you know when you can see yesterday’s show.