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Toddlers are finicky little people. One day, they love mornings the next they wake up hollering and stay cranky for hours after. After a lot of trial and error, I’ve come up with a few ways to help my toddlers wake up happier. Try a few of my ideas and let me know some of yours!
Create a Before Bed Routine
Toddlers love routines and they like knowing what’s going to happen next. Creating a before bed routine will let your toddler know that it’s time to start settling down. Our routine is super simple: Calming the Child essential oil blend, teeth brushing, pajamas, devotions, and prayer. It’s not completely horrible to get a toddler to do their routine. Mine actually looks forward to the next step!
Respect Their Personality
Just like there are morning people and not-morning people in the adult world, there are morning people and not-morning people in the tot world. My toddler tends to hate mornings, so if I was to run into his room singing Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah, it would be annoying!
Now, when it gets to be time for him to wake up, I’ll open his door and let him slowly wake up. The light from our living room is normally enough to wake him up and he sits there slowly coming to his senses. 🙂 He feels like he’s woken up on his own and he’s had a few minutes to process everything.
Check Your Own Attitude
How are you waking your little one up? Is it with a bad attitude? Are you acting annoyed about this next step on your to-do list or do you wake them up with words of affirmation (even if it’s just a simple “Good Morning!”)? No one likes to see a grumpy face right when they wake up!
Or maybe, you aren’t being the morning role model you should be. Are you cranky when you wake up? Do you use negative language about mornings? Toddlers are copy-cats and they might just be following your example.
Or maybe, you aren’t being the morning role model you should be. Are you cranky when you wake up? Do you use negative language about mornings? Toddlers are copy-cats and they might just be following your example.
Food, Food, Food!
My son wants a snack or breakfast ASAP! In our house, we call this “Hangry”, a combination of angry and hungry. No matter what you call it, it can be a total recipe for disaster if those tiny tummies don’t get fed right away!
I like to make his breakfast before he’s out of bed in the morning and I’ll get his snack ready too. Problem solved!
Give Them Something to Get Happy About
Adults wake up happier if they have something to look forward to each day. Toddlers are the same way! While coffee (extra caffeine!) isn’t an option, a morning cup of milk or juice with a special breakfast item is.
If you don’t eat breakfast together, try a special morning song, book or extra cuddle time. It helps to talk about this special morning thing before they go to bed so they have something to look forward to.
By including the above tips in your day, your toddler will wake up happy and refreshed. How do you help your kids wake up happy?
