getting dressed for school

[justine1]

Hi

 

I was hoping someone may have some tips on how to get Sam to get ready for school independently? Last school year we were at an advantage for 2 reasons one was that the school was only 15min walk so we didnt get up too early(I got the boys up at 7am and they didnt have to rush really) the other reason was that because Dan was here I would be getting Dan washed and dressed while Sam washed and dressed himself this gave him a very visual "clock" that when Dan was ready he should be ready.

 

Problem now is I have to leave home 7am it means I get Sam up at 6.30am,I get up at 5.30am.I have tried getting him to wash and dress alone but he forgets and just sits there,I have tried timers,clocks and his timetable but nothin is working.I cannot get up any earlier so with 30min to get two kids washed,dressed and fed I am at a loss.I dont want to take his independence away and yesterday he said he was "uncomfortable"(his words) with me washing him.

[Karen A]

Hi

 

I was hoping someone may have some tips on how to get Sam to get ready for school independently? Last school year we were at an advantage for 2 reasons one was that the school was only 15min walk so we didnt get up too early(I got the boys up at 7am and they didnt have to rush really) the other reason was that because Dan was here I would be getting Dan washed and dressed while Sam washed and dressed himself this gave him a very visual "clock" that when Dan was ready he should be ready.

 

Problem now is I have to leave home 7am it means I get Sam up at 6.30am,I get up at 5.30am.I have tried getting him to wash and dress alone but he forgets and just sits there,I have tried timers,clocks and his timetable but nothin is working.I cannot get up any earlier so with 30min to get two kids washed,dressed and fed I am at a loss.I dont want to take his independence away and yesterday he said he was "uncomfortable"(his words) with me washing him.

 

Hi.

If you have only had a few days with timetable etc I think it may be a case of just sticking with the routine and hoping Sam gets quicker.

It takes a while of using one routine before a child gets the hang of it at the start of term.

Is there any way Sam could take breakfast with him as a packed breakfast and have it when he gets to wherever he is going ?

Could Sam have a bath or shower in the evening when there is more time and just show his face some water in the morning ?

 

Are you sure you are being realistic as to how much Sam will manage to do in half an hour at that time of the morning ?

My elder son is nearly 15.He is very independent and capable and organises himself.

He has his clothes ready and his bag packed the night before.

He gets up at about 6.30 on school days in order to leave at about 7.20.

 

If you have started RGN training I think you are doing well.

I was 18 when I started.I just about managed to get up at 0600 myself to be on the ward at 0730.

Edited September 7, 2010 by Karen A

[justine1]

Hi.

If you have only had a few days with timetable etc I think it may be a case of just sticking with the routine and hoping Sam gets quicker.

It takes a while of using one routine before a child gets the hang of it at the start of term.

Is there any way Sam could take breakfast with him as a packed breakfast and have it when he gets to wherever he is going ?

Could Sam have a bath or shower in the evening when there is more time and just show his face some water in the morning ?

 

Are you sure you are being realistic as to how much Sam will manage to do in half an hour at that time of the morning ?

My elder son is nearly 15.He is very independent and capable and organises himself.

He has his clothes ready and his bag packed the night before.

He gets up at about 6.30 on school days in order to leave at about 7.20.

 

Karen.

Thanks Karen We started the timetable last Monday,so it is still early days,its more a case of him forgetting that we need to leave,like he doesnt register that he has to do X in 10min.I am going to ask the childminder if he can have breakfast there because Eli doesnt eat until 9am anyway so she will have to feed him as well.I just worry because she has kids of her own so I dont think she will have the time to constantly remind him to have his breakfast, which he needs.

 

Sam gets really smelly in the night and he gets itchy through the day if he hasnt washed,so I have to bath him in the morning and evening.I could wake him earlier,as I get up at 5.30/an hour earlier than him,so it wont make much difference to me.However he struggles as it is getting up at 6.30am so I dont know if getting him up earlier is going to work,I may try adding 15min and see what happens. Unfortunatly we cant leave any later than 7am I have to walk 3 miles (30min) to the childminder and then catch a bus to Uni.

 

Thank you for the advice <'>

[Karen A]

Thanks Karen We started the timetable last Monday,so it is still early days,its more a case of him forgetting that we need to leave,like he doesnt register that he has to do X in 10min.I am going to ask the childminder if he can have breakfast there because Eli doesnt eat until 9am anyway so she will have to feed him as well.I just worry because she has kids of her own so I dont think she will have the time to constantly remind him to have his breakfast, which he needs.

 

Sam gets really smelly in the night and he gets itchy through the day if he hasnt washed,so I have to bath him in the morning and evening.I could wake him earlier,as I get up at 5.30/an hour earlier than him,so it wont make much difference to me.However he struggles as it is getting up at 6.30am so I dont know if getting him up earlier is going to work,I may try adding 15min and see what happens. Unfortunatly we cant leave any later than 7am I have to walk 3 miles (30min) to the childminder and then catch a bus to Uni.

 

Thank you for the advice <'>

 

<'>

You must be very keen to be a nurse that sounds like hard work.

Karen.

[justine1]

<'>

You must be very keen to be a nurse that sounds like hard work.

Karen.

Yes I am very keen I just hope I can do it,all the little problems will seem insignificant once I achieve my goal.Thank you so much for your support Karen <'>

[JsMum]

What about a visual planner to show the sequence of what he has to put on.

 

What I have done for Josh in the past was get a picture of each item he had to put on and place it in order for him to get dressed.

 

So underpants.

Vest

Socks (does he have difficulty putting these on)

Tshirt

Trouers

Jumper

Shoes.

 

We got a camera and took a photo of each garment, and then placed them on a wall near to were he got dressed so he could see what order to get dressed in.

 

J struggles with fidley finger movements, manipulation so tiny buttons, into tiny botton holes, zips that doesnt easily connect so making the connectors difficult to put together, and other things so I tried to choose clothes that where easy to put on.

 

what about a star chart that if he is ready in 10 mins he gets a star/marble?

 

3 to 4 morning marbles equals a treat for the weekend.

 

what is bedtime routine like, does he settle at bedtime? is he getting enough sleep?

 

with J in the past J refused to dress as an aviodant tactic to delay the event of going to school, the longer it took to dress the longer it took to get to school, until we realised his aviodant tactic and he dressed in normal clothes and got changed at school as we had a spare set at school.

 

So what about some play clothes and take his school uniform to take to his child minder so he isnt rushing.

 

 

JsMumx

 

ps wanted to add as Ive just reread your op and the issue is also washing, you could do a visual planner of the washing task.

 

Do you have a shower?

 

Occupational Therapist did an assessment for J and we were able to get a shower fitted to assist with Hygiene tasks, a bath is great in the evening but first thing the morning that could take hours for us, getting J in the bath is hard as it is, but getting him out is a total different ball game, one time a bath took 3 hrs from beginning to end.

 

A shower is much quicker and he has a visal planner of what he has to do in the shower.

 

Washe face,

Go throw the body if he needs it,

 

I wash my hair

I rinse my hair

I get dried with a towel

 

I get dressed.

 

Then have the visual planner ready for getting dressed.

 

JsMumx

Edited September 7, 2010 by JsMum

[Mumble]

I think J's Mum's ideas are really useful. I would persevere with the visual timetable and get Sam to 'own' it by taking photos showing both the item and him putting the item on correctly. Make sure there are no issues with fiddly buttons etc, by having Velcro instead.

 

Not sure where he's up to with an understanding of time, but maybe you could put pictures of clocks to show how much time he has?

 

I notice he has a Sponge-bob obsession, I'm afraid I know nothing about Sponge-bob shows, but if they're always the same length, something I used with a boy I taught who was Simpson's obsessed was to relate all time to this - so things would happen in one Simpsons time, two Simpson's time, half a Simpson's time etc... Maybe you could make it into a competition, if the time length is appropriate, he puts on a Sponge-bob episode and has to get x, y and z done before the credits roll.

[justine1]

I think J's Mum's ideas are really useful. I would persevere with the visual timetable and get Sam to 'own' it by taking photos showing both the item and him putting the item on correctly. Make sure there are no issues with fiddly buttons etc, by having Velcro instead.

 

Not sure where he's up to with an understanding of time, but maybe you could put pictures of clocks to show how much time he has?

 

I notice he has a Sponge-bob obsession, I'm afraid I know nothing about Sponge-bob shows, but if they're always the same length, something I used with a boy I taught who was Simpson's obsessed was to relate all time to this - so things would happen in one Simpsons time, two Simpson's time, half a Simpson's time etc... Maybe you could make it into a competition, if the time length is appropriate, he puts on a Sponge-bob episode and has to get x, y and z done before the credits roll.

Thanks Mumble I really like that idea,with regards to the episodes,he knows all the episodes so it could work very well indeed.Though he may very well sit naked and just watch the telly

 

Well last night I put him to bed 15min earlier and got him up 10min earlier and there was a massive difference.He got himself washed and dressed all by himself.I did shout up to him when it was time to get out the bath and when he should come downstairs.But he did very well.I hope it will continue.I am grateful that he is very capable he just needs encouragement.

[Karen A]

Thanks Mumble I really like that idea,with regards to the episodes,he knows all the episodes so it could work very well indeed.Though he may very well sit naked and just watch the telly

 

Well last night I put him to bed 15min earlier and got him up 10min earlier and there was a massive difference.He got himself washed and dressed all by himself.I did shout up to him when it was time to get out the bath and when he should come downstairs.But he did very well.I hope it will continue.I am grateful that he is very capable he just needs encouragement.

 

That was better than I managed this morning with one twelve year old who only needed to leave at 0800.