***My Child Is Always Late

Parenting children to learn the importance of “time” before they begin school will give your child an advantage. Child development and child behavior experts share that parents who allow their children to be late for activities that have set times are only setting them up for negative consequences from events and activities that require an individual to be “on time.”

Consider this: By the time your child begins any formal education he or she is expected to:

1. Know how to tell time by looking at a clock or watch,
2. Arrive on time to a friends house, church, sports or doctor appointment,
3. Go to bed and get up “on time,”
4. Come to super “on time,”

Many people in our society believe that a person who is late is being rude and discourteous to others who have to wait due to tardiness. Many states include tardiness to school as an unexcused absence that could place the child in truancy proceedings in court. Adults who are habitually late may lose their job.

Below are some parenting guidelines to help your child be on time.

· Sit down with your child and tell him or her the importance of being on time.
· Set time limits for your child. Tell your child that he or she has ten minute to get dressed and hold the child to the set time.
· Set an example for your child by being on time for the activities that you are involved in. Show your child that you are organized. Keep a calendar with dates and times.
· When your child is striving to stay on time, help him or her by reducing distractions (TV, radio, games etc.) that may interfere with them being on time.
· Allow natural consequences to occur when your child is late. Your child may have to miss going to a friends house, attending a sports activity or going to see a movie if he or she is late. Use positive consequences too! Tell your child that she can have a friend over after school if she’s on time to school.
· Use a timer. Timers may be used for all kinds of activities. Tell the child, “when the timer goes off, you should have your bedroom picked up.” You can also say, “When the alarm clock goes off, you have 45 minutes to get ready before the school bus comes.
· Get your child into a daily routine. When your child gets up and goes to bed at the same time each day and has regular activities on a similar time basis, life for the child becomes more simplified.