How do you get your teen to wake up?

While waking up your teen can be tough!

I should just lie back and have a mommy moment for 45 minutes...

Mind you it isn't easy after helping him for the last fifteen years...

It's like a drum roll...Is he gonna get up, make his breakfast, get dressed, get his books together, brush hair and teeth and make it for the bus?

Then in a great surprise I hear, "Bye Mom!" 

He's gone and done it all by himself, he did it!

Just days ago it wasn't this easy...

I found myself going to his room 3 to 5 times until he actually crawled out of bed and got ready for school.

It became that I was driving him to school instead of him taking the bus.

This insanity had to stop!

I was getting annoyed and cranky. I needed my happy mornings back!

 (Me) Tips!
 How do you get your teen to wake up?

• Help him with an alarm clock, have him set it up the night before.
• Tell your teen if she forgets to set the alarm and she's late the consequence will be--- She will be late. putting this into words, might actually make her feel accountable already.
• If she is still late, practice alarm clock setting on weekends and have her do the early morning getting up for school routine. This is done without your help...So sleep in!
• This would entail her to get up with the alarm and get dressed and ready as if she is going to school.
• Repeat if necessary the next weekend, even if there is one morning late! 

If you are still are having troubles...

Maybe your teen absolutely sleeps through the alarm
Fights with you 
Is just plain slow...

• follow through on weekends with the alarm clock plan and don't allow your teen out evenings until he can actually get this right.
• change bed time to half hour earlier. Maybe she really isn't getting enough sleep!
•  don't get up in the morning until after the last child is on the bus.

A after all is said and done, I promise you your teen will make sure the alarm is set...

You know...

• teens have to learn responsibility!
• trying something new with your teen can be hard, expect there to be some late days to start.
• to be firm, but kind let them know you don't want them to be late, but you won't be waking them up anymore.
• teens like to test you just like when they were toddlers, soon they will learn that responsibility lies on themselves and not you.

Toddler Times

If we did all the walking for our capable toddlers years ago, we would be carry our teens around.
Using wheel chairs or any other apparatus!
Trust and have faith even though it may seem like it will never happen...It will.
Most of all love your teen, because they need your guidance and love more than ever now!

How to Listen to Your Teen Talking

Trying to talk to parent...

Parents can sometimes be very difficult to connect with when you want to communicate feelings...

I can be busy doing something and my teen will come up to me in the middle of  my busyness and nonchalantly spit out words... Words that are really worth listening to.(I'm used to listening and doing, because I've been multitasking like mothers do forever and listening to and answering the millions of questions since he started to talk!)

You may fluff them off - this has become a habit!

Answering questions like...

"Ah hmmm, oh ya, that's right..."

"What was that? Oh really!"                                 While your really busy doing.........

"We'll see about that later..."

It's time for Change....Your Child is now a teen and has some pretty important stuff to stay.

You need to know how to listen to your teen talking!
Because later never comes...

You've closed the door on communication!
Oh no, it could have been something about being bullied, sex, drugs and whatever...
You missed that chance to give your child valuable advice!

It isn't too late......

Sit somewhere quiet and stop the busy for 15 minutes...
Sit somewhere beside your child for another 15 minutes and wait until your child talks.
He or she will probably start talking.
Just remember never to disregard your teenagers conversations as nothing!
You do not want to miss the boat on giving your teenager the attention he needs.
The attention about... sex, or drugs or being bullied.

These subjects are too hard to think about for your teen let alone to talk about them.

Go now and just sit and listen...




How to listen to your teen talking, requires you to be receptive to your teen and to drop everything you are doing. If you are doing something really important like talking on the phone or saving your dinner from burning...

Tell your teen, but first be receptive!

"I hear you, let me take 1 minute to finish what I am doing and we can talk."

I can't stress enough how much you need to say the minutes or you might just lose what your teen wanted to say...

If your teen says, "Forget it..."

Turn you head and look into your teens eyes...

" I want to listen to you, I hear you, you're important to me!"

"I am talking to the insurance company and will be able to talk in 5 minutes."

Reflect kindness, but be firm...
You want your teen to take you seriously and show that you have respect!

Toddler Times...
You remember back when he was a toddler and interrupted every phone call...
Eventually he got it the hint and understood that sometimes the phone is important...

He always knew I loved him and he knew I'd do my best to get back to him!

"Just a second sweety, Daddy will be off the phone after he tells the man about the broken vacuum."

Your little guy always knew you loved him...

Always remember to reflect back to your child,

"I'm sorry, I know it's hard to wait...Now lets do what we need to do."

Teenagers are like toddlers going through the terrible twos all over again...

Although, manners have fallen into the gutter and it's all about them.

It can be unnerving...

Choose to be kind and remember how you were when they were impatient toddlers.
Remember to say you love them, when your busy and that they are always important to you.