the broken zipper. Then the shoe. And on the way to school, we can look at math facts.” 4. Apologize. This one feels hard for a lot of us because it means we are human and we are admitting it to our children. I’ll let you in on a secret: they already know. Saying you’re sorry for the way you spoke to them or the way you tossed all the shoes out of the shoe bin shows that it’s okay to make mistakes. Plus, it will help you let go of any mistakes and move on. Kids are usually a pretty forgiving bunch. 5. Stop. Take thirty seconds and have everyone freeze. Stop looking for the shoe. Stop cleaning up the cereal. Stop huffing your voice. It is okay to tell them the morning isn’t going well. It’s good for them to see that we can identify things that aren’t ideal. Saying something like, “This morning is not going the way I hoped it would. Could we turn it around together?” shows your child that you recognize how things are and that you need their help to make it better. Let them be an active participant in turning things around. You’re giving them useful skills for later in life. And while you are at it, get them in the habit of prioritizing and serializing the task list instead of frantically trying to do 5 things at a time. Think aloud. “Alright, let’s see how we can go about this. First, “Laughter releases stress, and you will all be in better shape to take your morning back.” Slowing down together turns the routine into something meaningful. 112 HAWAII PARENT January/February 2026
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