Getting Teens Out of Bed

A lot of teenagers have trouble getting up in thealready.
morning. If you have a difficult, defiant or oppositionalSo what do you do exactly? First of all, let your child
defiant teenager, it could be that getting your child up inknow you are going to be doing this and then every
the morning for school could become a daily choremorning you go him and wake him up one time and
that you dread.one time only. If he gets up and goes to school on time
You go in his room, wake him up again and again, butthat is fine. But if he sleeps late then he is going to be
he does not get up. Finally, you have to force him tolate for school and he will have to face the
get out of bed - cursing and screaming, yelling at oneconsequences himself.
another - all just to get him to go to school on time.Your kid is not going to like this. He will probably yell at
What exactly should you do about this?you for this. But the bottom line is that he will see that
First of all we should examine this situation much moreyou are no longer taking the responsibility of getting him
closely. Your teenager is supposed to go to school -up for school on time.
that means he has to get there on time. It is his job toHe will begin to make the responsibility his own. As a
get there on time. Is it your problem or the child'sparent, this is your job, to teach him how to take
problem that he gets to school on time?responsibility for his actions and also be responsible for
If you look at it carefully, it is your child's responsibility -his own obligations.
you have been through school already. It is his job toWhen he is an adult, your teenager is not going to
make sure he gets to school on time and fulfills hishave anyone wake him up for his job or get him to
responsibilities. The truth is that if you are making itwhat he has to do. It is up to him to learn how do to
your job to get your child up for school on time andthat now and that is your job as a parent to teach him
not letting him take responsibility for that, then you haveto do these things.
made it your job and not his job.At a later time we will discuss what happens if your
That is really the problem. It is your child's responsibilitychild does not really want to go to school and that is
to make sure he is at school on time, not yours. It reallywhy he is not getting up. But for now, if your child does
is his responsibility. He is the one that has to takewant to go to school and is doing okay in school, the
detention, is going to fall behind, is going to be late forway to handle him not getting up on time is by letting
school, and is going to get in trouble.him miss school and face the consequences himself.
It is not your position. You have been through school