Tips for easily waking your child up for school every morning.

So, after a few months of sleeping in, how can you help your child adjust to waking up early without causing a commotion every morning? Here are five tips to help you wake your child up and get them out of bed for school.

Start planning early.

Family psychologist David Swanson, author of HELP - My Kid Is Driving Me Crazy, says it's important to recognize that the transition from a relaxed, laid-back schedule to the structured school year is a process. "Parents make the mistake of waiting until the last minute." And if you wait until the evening before school to get your children up early, you can't expect a smooth morning.

Start preparing your child at least a week before the new school year begins. Jill Spivack, a certified social worker and co-author of the book.The Sleepeasy Solution, The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to SleepIt is recommended to hold a family meeting to establish a new sleep schedule and for the whole family to follow.

"You need to sit down with your children and explain the value of sleep," Spivack said. "We want them to understand that sleep is just as important as nutrition and that lack of sleep can have serious consequences."

Numerous studies have shown that lack of sleep can affect both mental and physical health. Children aged 8-12 and teenagers aged 11-17 who get too little sleep show increased depression, anxiety, and physical pain. Academic performance at school also often declines. One study of 4th and 6th graders showed that after losing about an hour of sleep for several nights, students performed worse on tests of concentration in class.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, children aged 5-12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night. Children aged 10-18 need less sleep, approximately 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night. However, most children don't get enough sleep.

You can show your child that you know—and understand—that returning to a routine might not be fun. But also let them know that the schedule change is to help them feel better about going to school. “It comes from love and teaching them about the importance of sleep, not control,” Spivack says.

Past bedtime

Many parents will impose curfews on the amount of time their children spend on phones or computers. Swanson suggests talking to them about privileges and consequences.

He suggested saying something like this: “Your parents have given you the privilege of using your phone, playing handheld games, etc., and they’ve entrusted these things to you. If you can show your parents that you can limit your use yourself, that’s good. But if you use them after bedtime, you’re showing your parents that you can’t control them and they need to help you.”

Swanson suggests you can help your child by being prepared to take those things back from them if they can't stick to the plan.

Spivack also cautioned parents against over-planning their entire day. “Children can’t have every minute of their lives scheduled, and they need to relax. Be careful not to over-schedule and get caught up in a competitive parenting environment. Make time for them to get a good night’s sleep. That quality time is more valuable than another class.”

Return to routine

Start by waking up about an hour earlier than usual. For example, if your 6-year-old goes to bed at 9 p.m. during the summer and needs to readjust to an 8 p.m. bedtime when school starts, start by waking them up at 7 a.m. instead of letting them sleep until 8 p.m. Then the following evening, try pushing the bedtime up to 8:30 p.m. On the second day, wake them up at 6:30 a.m. and aim for an 8 p.m. bedtime.

Spivack said, "If you do this every day and start a routine of relaxing after dinner and everything is calm, away from technology, and you go into your children's bedrooms to spend time with them, it helps them relax and go to bed earlier."

Let's ask for a little help from the sun. According to Spivack, "light helps regulate the circadian rhythm…If you leave the curtains open, the morning light shining into the room will naturally trigger a child's wake-up time."

A little "bribe" won't hurt.

Swanson shared that it helps them understand that as soon as they get back on track, you and they will go buy new school supplies. And when you do that, you can even splurge, but only if they are truly getting into a routine.

Above all, Swanson advises teaching children to take responsibility for the things that truly matter to them and using them as leverage. “What are your child’s current interests?…Video games, their phone, shopping? Find a way to give them those things afterward, as long as they stick to the plan.”

So what if the child doesn't follow the plan and doesn't turn off their electronic devices?

“If your child refuses to go to bed, you could say something like, ‘I really want us to get back to our routine. I don’t want to have to get up early either. But I think video games are getting us in the way and they’re preventing you from sleeping. Go to bed or lose.’”

Let the morning time work its magic.

Lisa Joyner is a television producer and host, as well as the mother of two sons, ages 10 and 11. Like the self-described work-at-home issue she faces, she's had to find ways to make mornings a smooth routine. Speaking of her 10-year-old son, she says, "He needs to be organized and know what he's doing… When guided, he does very well."

Joyner clarified that on school mornings, her stepson has a number of specific tasks to complete. She said, “Once he’s awake and made his bed, eaten breakfast, and gotten dressed, he can play video games.”

Joyner does something the night before to make some morning tasks easier for her child. “We prepare her clothes the night before so that when she wakes up, things are easier for her and she doesn’t have to think about what to wear this morning.”

And don't forget that positive feedback is very effective with children. Joyner shared, "He wants to please others. He knows that when I don't have to spend 45 minutes waking him out of bed or reminding him to do things, I'm happy." When he does well, she high-fives him.