If only I had figured it out sooner

There are a few things that I wish I would have figured out a long time ago.  For example, there is no point in keeping the box that the crayons or markers came in.  Trying to get all the crayons put back in the box after each use is so much more work than just throwing the whole lot in a sandwich bag, zipping it up, and tossing it in the bin for easy access.  Another example:  I recently figured out that it is so much more time efficient to clean the bathroom while the kids are taking their showers than to try to do it on a Saturday morning.  I have to be in there then anyway, and I am usually waiting around.  Why not use the time to scrub the toilet and wipe down the sink?

The latest discovery doesn't so much save time as it does energy and frustration.  The back story: Cortlan hates waking up for school.  Our kids are asleep by 8PM and they both still take mid-afternoon naps both at school and at home, so it isn't as though he is totally sleep deprived.  But if I have to go into his room to wake him for school (sometimes he actually wakes himself, in which case the morning is a breeze) things are pretty painful.  "Cortlan, it is time to wake up."  "Cort, get up, buddy."  "Cortlan, we need to get ready for school!"  "I am going to turn your light on.  Here are your clothes; you need to get up and get ready."  And it goes on, until finally he gets out of bed.  Then the rest of the morning sounds more like this:  "Cortlan, go potty."  "Did you brush your teeth?"  "C'mon, Cortlan!  Get moving!"  "Cortlan, we are going to be late.  You need to get your clothes on."  "Let's go!  Get your socks!  Get your coat!  Come ON!"

Needless to say, it is frustrating.  For everyone.  And we are often late, no matter how early I start the process.

So recently, I decided: No more.  No more badgering.  No more reminding.  No more pestering.  And no more being late.  What did we do differently?  Well, the light goes on in Cortlan's room and he is told to get up.  His clothes are out.  He knows what to do and he needs to do it.  Seriously, he does.  For quite some time, the morning routine has been the same: get up, go to the bathroom, brush teeth, get dressed, get coat and shoes, get out the door.  The deal is that if he isn't ready by the time it is time to walk out (with reasonable time notices given), we take him in whatever state of getting ready he is in at the time.  Astonishingly, this method has worked.  I had a suspicion it might, but was a bit amazed to find that with or without the badgering, pestering, and reminding, Cortlan takes about the same amount of time to get ready in the morning.  So, it doesn't go any faster, really, but we are all much happier with this new way of doing things.  Until, at least, we have to take him to school half dressed and teeth not brushed.  But, with the way he reacted at the mere thought, I am thinking that probably won't happen.