The Power of a Visual

Mornings. They can be rough. Especially when you are trying to get two tiny humans, a puppy, and yourself ready and out the door by 7:30. Add into the mix that one of the tiny humans is a 4 year old, who waffles between wanting to be fully independent, refusing all help, to wanting full assistance on any given day, coupled with the toddler grumpiness that can happen if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and I am in for a real treat each day. #WillIGetJekyllorHyde

Needless to say, it’s been a struggle, and something had to give. I had tried bribing, I had tried incentives, I had tried all sorts of things, but the bottom line was – he was ruling the roost & calling the shots and I was freaking exhausted before the day ever got started!

As I sat in my car after dropping off both babies last week (they are 4 and 7, but they’ll always be babies to me), I took a deep breath and reflected on what I could do differently to make our mornings more successful. What would the “teacher” in me do if these were my students and not my own children? And of course, the answer was clear as mud. I would make a visual! #Duh

I spend my life talking to others about the importance of predictability and structure and how those things not only make people feel safe, but they also reduce the likelihood that challenging behavior will occur and increase independence and success in students. Once again, why I forget all of these things when I am wearing my “mom” hat, I will never know!

I quickly whipped up a visual that shows the 4 steps I need him to do independently each morning (get dressed, brush teeth, make bed, eat breakfast) and put them on a strip, allowing him to select the order he wants to do them in each morning. If he completes all 4 steps, he gets a sticker – at the end of the week, if he has all 5 stickers, he can visit the treasure box (thank God for the dollar aisle @ Target).

It is amazing how much a little bit of structure, a little bit of choice, and a very basic visual can impact a routine. While we are only a few days in, our mornings have been SO much better and we have been graced by Jekyll each day, instead of his good friend, Hyde! #ThePowerOfAVisual