How to wake a sleeping teen???

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
How to wake a sleeping teen???
17
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 4:07pm

Looking for some ideas here - this is my gripe du jour!!


DD sets an alarm and it doesn't seem to bother her when it goes off in the morning. I call her cell phone from my warm, cozy bed. Sometimes she answers but goes back to sleep. Some mornings I call her 5 or 6

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 4:48pm

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Absolutely!
Cease and desist the hotel wakeup call service.
Simple cause and effect will take care of this problem in a couple of days.
Let her experience the inconvenience of not being ready and not having everything she needs going out the door.
It's even better that she depends on a ride. Her driver will provide even more effective feedback than mom can. And if her driver gets fed up and takes off without her, don't leave that cozy warm bed of yours.
She will quickly learn that mom is not an appropriate alarm clock.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 5:06pm

OK, I like your thinking. My fear, however, is that if she misses her ride she has already missed the bus and that would require me to drive her to school

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2003
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 5:58pm

Perhaps letting your DD suffer the consequences of an irritated driver and possibly other passengers in the car, and/or being late for school may motivate her a bit.

My DD has always got herself up by her own alarm clock, but for some reason I have been waking her up this year. She is good about getting up within a few minutes. HOWEVER, she does everything in slow motion and at 6:00am, she's so slow it seems like she's barely moving. DH drives her to school and he's not especially patient with her dawdling. That right there is the ultimate motivator.

AS far as being organized in the mornings, have her get everything ready the night before. A few extra minutes before bed saves a whole lot of time in the morning. Except for her lunch, my DD packs everything she needs for school the night before in her backpack or purse so it's just a grab and go in the morning. She wears uniforms so deciding on an outfit is not an issue for her, but maybe your DD could plan what she wanted to wear to school the night before. My DD just doesn't allow time for the sit-down hot breakfast she truly loves, so she's been having to take an on-the-road breakfast (bagel or something) that she eats in the car. She has a very long commute to school and this seems to be working pretty well.

I know how frustrating this can be! Hope things improve for you both.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2005
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 6:27pm

Maybe I'm off base here, but my first thought was......get up with her.

My DD's alarm goes off at 5:45 - no way she'd jump out of bed at that ungodly hour without the moral support of me being up too. When you say you're too warm and cozy to get up wtih her......well, isn't she warm and cozy too? I'm all for taking responsibility and letting her see the consequences, but it's hard to have a higher standard for a teenager than for an adult.

Personally, as painful as 5:45 is to be awake, I enjoy the one-on-one time with my DD. We have our coffee together (hers is mostly milk), check the weather on TV, and sometimes watch something we've taped from the night before.

I could see it if you had already left for work, or if you're awake and she won't get up, but to be up alone in the early morning doesn't seem a reasonable expectation.

Sue

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 6:47pm
Good point Sue.
I hadn't thought about her being the only one up and about.
Maybe a compromise would work better.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2003
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 7:07pm
I get up before DD too, by about 15 minutes. It's probably my banging around in the kitchen, turning lights on, coffee going, etc. that gets her up too. Doesn't speed her up, but at least she's up!
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 7:18pm

I agree. My daughter and I get up at the same time. Its the time I have to get up to be ready to leave for work and she leaves the house at the same time I do because she starts school at 8:15AM and has a good 20 minute walk to get there.

I also really enjoy our time together. We walk to the corner together where we split off in different directions. We use the time to chat and joke and it keeps us connected.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 7:40pm

I am usually the first one in the house up at about 5 a.m.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 8:25pm

Good points. All well taken. I really don't have a problem getting up with her and helping to expedite her departure. However, there is not much for me to do during the time it takes her to dress, fix her hair, etc. I usually get up with her when that is all done and it's time to go downstairs to eat and get ready to leave. The problem is actually getting her out of bed. I want her to do it on her own - then come let me know she is progressing. Is this a reasonable expectation?


Thanks!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2004
Wed, 11-02-2005 - 9:38pm
My mom had a pretty effective way of getting me up during high school... She'd open my door, flick on the lights and snatch my comforter away and run like hell out to the kitchen...

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