8yo dd still hasn't a clue how to get herself ready int ime for school. am so tired of having this conversation/argument

[jellybelly25]

My dd (8) has an inherent inability to get ready for school no matter what incentives/punishments she gets. I'm not expecting magic answers but I just want to vent a bit. I'm exhausted with it. We've been doing this battle since she was four, and not a fat lot has improved.

I cannot tell you how many star charts we have done...She doesn't even remember she has one half the time and nothing ever works for longer than a couple of days at best. One day is usually the limit. I can stand there going 'you won't get your star if blah blah'' or 'if you get ready quickly today you will get another star!!! WOW!!!' and she goes 'ooh ok' and looks happy, then just.... doesn't.

I feel like bombing her room to be honest. This morning I have chucked out a load of plastic animals she was fiddling with instead of getting ready, but that sort of punishment doesn't really work because she'd just fiddle with something else. I am qutie sure that if she had nothing but a bed in her room, she would find a way to fiddle with that instead of getting ready.

And standing at the door going 'it's time to go' whatever state she's in, no shoes, no bag ready etc, just doesn't hit home either. she still can't remember what she needs to do to get out

I just want to know if anyone else's child is like this at this age?

We had a breakthrough this morning: dd was ready a full half an hour early this morning, without me having to prompt/nag/shout, just so that she could play with her new Nintendo DS! I was ! But also ... It just goes to show that she CAN do it when she wants to. She didn't even ask for help with her tights, which she usually always does.

Long may it last... although I suspect the novelty will wear off and normal service will resume.

ooh well done mammya's dd! we did ok too, i set her alarm early again, and she got straight up, although i did catch her trying to sneak a leg into dh's side of the bed at one point. she was dressed and ready and breakfasted and all bags (packed last night) at the door at about 8.15 so i said she had time to watch tv but only if she put her coat and shoes on first so she did. Then AS WE OPENED THE FRONT DOOR she said 'oh i just need to go get my keyring from upstairs' at which point i glared at her but didn't get cross, as she had done so brilliantly at everything else.

Stickybun - thanks, your post also made me smile!

and nooka, you're right about having that half hour window, i always forget something...