So, a recent post of Lara's, "The best $14.99 we've ever spent," started the wheels spinning in my head. She spoke about buying her daughter an alarm clock, and how it made their mornings run so much smoother. I thought, I wish I could buy Laci one. But she's up at 5 am every morning! (and has always woken that early since the day she was born) She definitely doesn't need help waking up. And, a few days later, the answer came to me: Why not use the alarm clock for the opposite purpose? Instead of waking up to the alarm clock, treat it more as a timer. She has to stay in her bed until the alarm goes off. I felt like it was a long shot, but it was definitely worth a try...
Off we went to pick out her new alarm clock. Of course, she picked out her favorite color, pink. Jason and I explained to her the purpose behind the clock. Amazingly, it has worked! I'm able to get up and exercise, even shower!, and start making breakfast before 7am when her alarm goes off. Starting out week 2 of our new experiment, she's even been straightening her room, picking out her clothes for the day, and making her bed! This has also allowed Jacob to sleep longer in the mornings, which he desperately needs. (When your 2-year-old cries at everything before falling asleep at 9am, it means he isn't getting enough sleep!)
With a newborn on the way, I'm afraid to jinx myself... but I think come fall, we will be well on our way to getting her ready and off to school by 8:15! Thanks, Lara, for a blog post heaven-sent!
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2 comments:
Great idea! Hope it continues to work!
That is really good to know that a regular old alarm clock works so well! I just happen to have seen something similar from One Step Ahead, although it was a clock with two pictures on the face instead of numbers. The day time picture was lit for "awake" time and the night time picture was lit for "sleep or nap" times. But a regular alarm is probably cheeper! Good thinking!
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