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Home > Advocacy > 9 Ways to Boost Your Child's Attitude Before the Bus Arrives by Jackie Igafo-Teo |
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9 Ways to Boost Your Child's Attitude Before the Bus Arrives What can you do before your children walk out the door to help them feel they can conquer anything?
1. Plan Ahead Do your children lag behind in the morning because they can't find matching
socks or their homework? A good night's sleep can never be underestimated. Parents, this goes for
you too. Lack of sleep causes health problems, job performance problems
and stress at home.
Be firm. Set a reasonable bedtime and then let your children EARN a later bedtime based on their daily performance. For example, base bedtime could be 9:00 p.m. If your child does well that day at school and at home (no bad reports, no time outs), then you can extend bedtime to 9:30 as a reward. They may go from complaining about 9:00 p.m. to actually APPRECIATING 9:30 as an alternative. Learn to embrace the morning. Wake up 15 minutes early and make yourself some coffee or tea. Sit on the porch in the morning air and breathe in the fresh air. A slow start will give you more patience to deal with unexpected events that come your way. If your kids are still young, you can use a a little more creativity.
There was a time when getting my kids up was like awakening beasts in a cave. They'd whine "No, I'm tired" or "I just
went to sleep" or "I hate morning!" -- and the list goes
on. Even kids need time to adjust to a new day. Don't wake them up
with only 15 minutes to spare! This is a recipe for disaster. Use the extra time you saved by preparing ahead to talk to your children before they leave for school. 7. Laugh with Them Meet Jackie Igafo-Te'o In 2002, Jackie Igafo-Te'o and Deborah Canja realized the need for a comprehensive system of support on the web for ALL children so they founded Bridges4Kids to provide parents, educators, and others the information they needed to help children who might be at-risk or have special needs. "We know first-hand the struggles parents face. We've been there." Special education is the driving force behind Jackie's advocacy life and work. In addition to her volunteer work for Bridges4Kids, Jackie maintains web sites for other organizations, including the Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities. In addition to full-time employment with Michigan's Alliance for Families (Parent Training and Information Center), Jackie is serving two state of Michigan appointments. Her volunteer work for the Michigan Army National Guard Family Support Group led to recognition from the Michigan Army National Guard.
As a child, her oldest boy wrote a book about how he deals with his ADHD. Her youngest child wrote a book that described what it was like to have a sibling with Autism. Her middle child was diagnosed with Autism at age 3, an Impulse Control Disorder at age 9, and bipolar disorder at age 11. He illustrated both books. Today, he is a gifted artist who is deeply involved in the world of animation. To Top
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