Mornings fall apart in the gaps between steps: dressed but not at breakfast, fed but not in shoes. A morning routine chart fills those gaps with pictures, so your child can see what is next without being told, and you can stop being the narrator.
What is on it
Six steps with pictures and check circles: wake up and potty, get dressed, breakfast, brush teeth and hair, shoes, coat and backpack, and out the door when the timer runs out. A star at the bottom is for the "morning leader".
Who it is for
Children from about three to seven, and families who leave the house at a set time on school or daycare days. Children with ADHD often find picture steps easier than spoken reminders, and the timer at the end helps any child who loses track of time.
How to use it
- Hang it where the morning starts, such as the bedroom or bathroom door.
- Lay clothes out the night before so step two is quick.
- Let your child check each circle as they go; laminate it and use a dry-erase marker.
- Set a visual timer for the last step so leaving time is the timer's job, not yours.
Tips
- If there is spare time, add a "play" step before shoes. Knowing play is coming speeds up everything before it.
- Keep the language short: point and say "teeth", not a paragraph.
Keep going
For children whose mornings are hard because of worry rather than logistics, our visual timers for ADHD guide has more ideas on making time visible. The free online visual timer works for the last step.
US Letter, one page, full color (it also prints fine in black and white, and on A4 with "fit to page"). Free for home, classroom and therapy use; please share the link rather than re-uploading the file. More on our free tools and printables page.
