Morning Routines for Kids With ADHD
Getting kids up and ready for school can be a challenge for any family. When you put a kid with ADHD in the mix, getting ready can be a HUGE battle.
Even if you have struggled for years to come up with a way to have easier mornings , the ideas in this post will help you create a morning routine that works for your family.
The best way to have your ADHD kids be independent in the mornings is to have a solid morning routine in place and to make the steps crystal clear to them.
Why Morning routines help Kids with ADHD
Kids with ADHD have a hard time with transitions, like getting out of the house in the morning. There are often too many steps involved for them to remember and they get frustrated very easily.
There are many reasons why starting a morning routine for your ADHD child is a great idea.
- Routines create good habits and grow independence.
- Repetition is good for executive functioning – it helps things sink in!
- Routines create pockets of calm. Kids love routines because they know exactly what to do and what is expected of them.
- There will be less whining and nagging…the routine “is just what our family does in the morning”.
What to include in a morning routine
Start small. Just choose a few things that need to get done. You can always add more onto a morning routine as your kids become familiar with the first few steps.
Include the important bits first. I’d say getting dressed and eating breakfast are key. Throw in brushing teeth and grabbing their lunch and backpack, too.
Decide on the order of things. If your kids are messy eaters, have them eat and then get dressed. If they hate to go back upstairs to brush their teeth, then have them do that step before they come downstairs. Whatever helps them get the necessary steps done.
Find a motivator. Perhaps eating breakfast needs to come last, if it motivates them to do the other steps. Or they get a bit of time to read or use simple art supplies if they are ready on time. (I hate to use screens as the motivator because then they see screens as the ultimate thing to work for.)
Use a timer. ADHD Kids suffer from time blindness, an inabiltiy to guage time. Getting a viusal timer, like the TimeTimer can help them learn what “15 minutes” feels like. If you’ve got a line to use the bathroom, give each kid 10 minutes in the bathroom.
Older kids can handle a bit more to do. You can add in making lunches, clearing the table or emptying the dishwasher to an older child’s morning routine.
Create an environment of cooperation. Encourage your kids to help each other out during the morning routine. Giving them friendly reminders as the morning goes will model how they can act with each other, too.
Good mornings might start the night before. Kids can have their backpack ready and sitting by the door the night before. Help them pick their outfit out before going to bed.
Examples of Morning Routines for Kids
When creating a routine, start with the time you need to be out the door and work backwards from there. Make sure to give everybody ample time for missteps or expected morning grumpiness. Here are a few examples for simple morning routines for kids.
Help your kids follow a morning routine
ADHD Kids may need extra help in becoming more independent while following their morning routien. There are lots of things that can help.
Paper morning routine chart. There are a lot of morning routine charts you can buy on Amazon ( We have used this one and this one, in the past, with some good success.)
You can also laminate a half sheet of paper and use a dry erase marker to write a few steps down.
Wipe off board
Whatever kind of tool you use to make the steps visible, it is important that it is small enough for your kids to be able to carry it around the house with them as they move thru the steps. iI’s like having you sitting next to them at all times, cheering them on.
But, thankfully, you can be getting done what YOU need to in the morning instead – with little to no micro managing.
DIY charts. You can always create your own chart onposter board or by taking pictures of each step
It is so simple and yet so powerful for a couple of reasons, the biggest one being it is always with them. A centralized wipe board was not doing the trick because they could only see it when they were in the kitchen–it was no help when they were upstairs or in the bathroom.I also kept the list simple and specific-each boy has one chore they must do in the course of the morning, but otherwise we have simple hygiene and prep for school tasks.
Each boy has a dry erase marker to check off the items as they are accomplished. If they get caught up playing before their list is complete all I have to do to get them back on track is ask, “What’s next on your list?” It has made mornings so much smoother and given them a bit of autonomy, too.
I can also attest to two other things we are doing to make mornings easier:
- We lay out our clothes at night for the following day. You may not think boys would have a problem with this, but they can. Just seeing the clothes laying on the floor helps to stir them out of bed faster-there is less thought involved.
- We plan out breakfasts and lunches the night before. My boys write their choices on a wipe board in the kitchen. This takes lots of decision making out of the morning and everything runs smoother.
Having a calm morning can really impact the rest of the day for every member of the family. Especially on school days, if I can send them away knowing they are in a good place, I know it will have a positive impact on their entire day.
If you have a friend who would benefit from this article please pass it along. And as always, thanks for taking the time to visit my blog! I’d love to hear what works for you in the mornings.
