Help With The Kids: How do you get a child ready in the morning?

HOW do you get a child ready in the morning when they don't want to?

Carina, mother-of-two, from Newcastle

Preparation and planning are the key. The bad news is you may need to get up a little earlier yourself to get a head start. Setting the alarm even 15 minutes earlier will help you feel in control. Reduce the jobs you have to do in the morning by doing some the night before. This will allow you to concentrate fully on getting your child ready. For example, lay out the uniforms, find the PE kit and start the lunchboxes. Decide what time your child needs to get up and stay with her until she does so. If you leave her to it she may stay in bed. Have a clear list of what she needs to do in the morning. Many children find this easier if you make a poster with pictures of each task such as washing, getting dressed, eating breakfast and so on. Move her on after each task with a clear instruction such as "please go and clean your teeth". TV watching can delay children getting ready, so apply a rule that the TV goes on after everyone is ready.

How do I stop my phobia of wasps affecting my child? Mel, parent of two, from Lightwood

Fear of wasps is of course a little bit reasonable. There is no doubt a sting can be painful. However, this is usually mild and brief unless you experience a severe allergic reaction. The best way to ensure your anxiety doesn't rub off on your child is to address the wasp phobia yourself. Depending on the strength of your phobia you can gain help through your GP or find some practical steps to help at www.thisisstafford shire.co.uk/sentinelle where there is a specific plan, called systematic desensitisation, to help you reduce wasp anxiety. While you do this you can help your child by staying as calm as possible around insects. If wasps are around, use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or deliberately loosening the muscles in your shoulder, arms and hands. Some helpful self talk such as "Wasps only sting if I get in their way by accident, they don't want to hurt me", can bring anxiety down. If you can, calmly read him stories or fact books..