6 year old dd is NOT a morning person. How do I make things less fraught for all of us?

[tissy]

She goes to bed at 7. Asleep by 8pm (having had bath and story).

We have to be out of the house by 7.40. I get up at 5.30, shower and dress, get the breakfast ready, unload dishwasher. I try to get dd up at 6.30. It's a struggle! I wake her, then go away fro 5 mins, then have to coax/ cajole her out of bed, to the loo, down the stairs. I have to remind her to eat EVERY mouthful, or she'd sit staring into space. I then have to coax/ cajole her up the stairs to get dressed, teeth cleaned, hair brushed. By then it's 7.30 and I have 10 mins to gather my thoughts/ belongings, pack up the school bag and get into the car.

Dh gets up at about 10 to 7, and doesn't have breakfast, apart from the pint mug of tea I've made him, but he does make sandwiches for dd and I, and pack her lunchbag.

Every morning is a battle, are there any tips for encourageing a reluctant getter-up to get a move on?

First thought is she needs to be in bed earlier that asleep by 8pm if getting up at 6.30pm. I'd be tired. Kids wake up naturally when they have had enough sleep, sounds like she's still asleep when shes eating her breakfast.

Gosh my message garbled! basically, IMO she needs to be asleep well before 8pm.

Have tried getting her to bed earlier, but she doesn't sleep!

I had this with ds2. I would get her dressed and do her hair before breakfast. She can be half asleep if you have to do her hair. Leave breakfast until last and it doesn't matter as to how long she takes - if she runs out of time you can give her a banana in the car.

Push bedtime earlier by 15 minutes, and continue to do this until she is waking naturally.

thanks, she's off for a bath at 6.45 tonight. I'll see how she goes!