My two teenage sons and the nightmare of school mornings!

[Bookworm13]

PLEASE can I get some advice?!

We have two teenage sons (16 and 13) and since the summer, they have been a nightmare getting up in the morning for school - especially the younger one.

They are always in bed at 10pm Sun-Thurs (they have to be ready for bed before that) and we don't allow them to take techy stuff into their rooms at bedtime, as I know they would be on it.

I am sick of having to repeatedly shout upstairs every school morning for them to get up and the last two mornings, they have both almost been late.
It's getting to the stage where I'm starting to dread weekday mornings, cos it's like Groundhog Day over and over!
I don't want to treat them like babies but I'm so bloody annoyed, I was going to suggest they go to bed a bit earlier than 10pm, to see if a bit extra sleep might make them stir themselves.
I'm probably kidding myself but it has been going on constantly for months and I'm at my wits end!
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Howlongtilldinner]

My DS now 19 wasnt great at school but it got far worse when he went to college. He had to catch a train and I dropped him at the station on my way to work.I had to leave at 8.10 to get to work. He got out of bed around 8. He would then get in the shower, have to find his train pass/keys/college ID.. the list is endless..worst two years ever! Im surprised I'm still here to tell the tale, I came close to losing my marbles...

He's at uni now. The day he had to go back, he was getting a lift to the station by his friends mum. The train was at 4, a 20-25 minute journey to the station. He got out of bed gone 3 and still hadn't packed, the mum had to wait 10 mins while he looked for his uni ID..

[SeriouslySomething]

I would tell them the time you are leaving and if they are not ready leave without them. they will get up on time if it means they cant get to school.
My mother never got out of bed in the morning so getting to school was our responsibility from year 6 on

[RustyBear]

The big flaw with leaving them to make their own way and going off to your work - can you trust them to remember (or bother) to lock the door?

[thesandwich]

Amazon have some great running away alarm clocks- one snooze and then they jump off the table and run from you very loudly!

[cdtaylornats]

The answer is a loaf of bread.

I used to have a flatmate that would sleep through anything so we used to keep a loaf in the freezer, when you want someone out of bed simply slip the frozen loaf in. It gets them up instantly and by the time they dump the loaf the bed is cold and unwelcoming

[user1478860582]

Water pistol.

[yaela123]

One alarm clock on their bedside table and another across the room 5 mins later so they will have to get up to turn it off.

I have the same problem with my oldest (16), luckily my 14yo gets up by herself. I am dreading my younger ones getting to the teenage years!

If they are late they're the ones who get punished so at the end of the day it's not my problem. They walk every day though because it's only 15 min walk and I have to take the younger ones to primary (years 1, 2 & 5)

I've also said that they have to be ready to leave the house just before 8.30am, otherwise they will be walking every single day.

This is a good idea. How far is their school?

[twocockers]

Well? Did it work??

[Deathraystare]

One of them is now a barrister and the other an Arch Deacon. Lessons learnt!



Priceless! Although I dunno- someone might still be getting them up!!!

[angelcurves18]

I always r entually got my self up and ready but a handy tip mighy be cooking bacon or sausage sarnie in the morning it can get anyone out of bed lol........my mum did it because I went through a stage off hardly eating and that way it got my sister out of bed and she got to see me eat something x

[WatchingFromTheWings]

My DD was the same. I bought her alarm clocks but she kept taking the batteries out and hiding them in drawers. So one morning I just left her to it. Never saw her move so fast that morning when she got up at the exact time she was meant to leave the house! She's never been late again and I've not had to shout.

[Frouby]

My dd (12) gets up but is a faffer. After getting really stressed every morning last year I told her she was responsible for getting her own kit and own self out of the door in time for her lift. The only thing I have done is set her an alarm on her phone at 7.35am which means she has 10 minutes left. And she has to be done in the bathroom by 7.15 so ds and me can use it.

Worked wonders.

[SeriouslySomething]

If they forget to lock the door once then take all their screens and expensive stuff for a week or more and then they wont do it again.
They are not babies they are teenagers. Who is going to wake them for work every day? not you.
If it was something they wanted to do they would be up on time wouldn't they.
I haven't been in you situation yet so it is easy for me to say do this and that. Its like people who aren't parents yet telling you how to parent isn't it. good luck op.
I'm having trouble keeping my pre-schooler and toddler in bed in the mornings so slightly long for the day they don't get up

[diddl]

I don't get why anyone would repeatedly shout upstairs.

Water, frozen bread?

Why would you do that?

You tell them once & that's it!

Also, if you're not going to call them at all-tell them that & stick to it.

Atm they know that you won't let them be late.

[cheminotte]

I agree with letting them suffer the consequences.

[BakeOffBiscuits]

Do they have their phones at night? I bet they're on the Internet for hours!

Instead of fining them I would tell them that if they are late they will have their phones taken always form them form 10pm.

When mine were that age they weren't allowed their phones at nighttime.

[SeriouslySomething]

My 4 year old does know that if he isn't ready in time he doesn't get to go to pre-school ( he still loves it and would be so upset if he couldn't go)
I plan to keep that up but obviously it will change to you will get in trouble for not being there.

[tobedo]

Not all teenagers care about the consequences.

[angelcake20]

If they will actually get into trouble at school for being late then leave them to it. My 12 and 14 yr olds have school coaches to catch so if they miss them they'll be at least an hour late. They get themselves up and out without any effort from dh or me. 2 mornings a week, they leave after us. When it was just one of them I didn't even get out of bed if I wasn't working.

[MrDacresEUSubsidy]

Blatant placemarking because I want to know what happened this morning!

[Honeyandfizz]

I can completely understand this too. Mine are 12 & 13 years 7 & 8. Dd 13 is no problem, up like a dream but ds is a royal pita.

We have tried a new routine this week of actually getting up earlier to ease them into it. Previously it was 7am wake up with lots of moaning and procrastination from ds who eventually surfaces at 7.20am to then rush like mad to make the bus for 7.45am making us all stressed. This week I have been waking him up at 6.15am with a cup of tea, this gives him more time to come round and worked out much better. He looks at his phone for half an hour (mountain biking on youtube mainly) then gets up.

[Rachel0Greep]

I'd agree with alarm clock outside door, on landing. No more shouting, and hopefully less stressful mornings for you.
I wouldn't agree with water or anything like that. Just set an alarm on the landing, and let them take the consequences if they are late after that.