Need help with breakfast when school resumes

[MotherGoose]

Hi

My dd are used to lengthy breakfasts, with multiple courses of cereal, toast, fruit, eggs, etc. Nothing fancy, just continuously saying they are hungry and wanting more. Then daddy awakens and cooks some bacon. Esp when school resumes, I want them to sit down, eat what they are served, and walk away. Meal lasts 15 mins tops. Do you have any ideas, recipes, etc that can help? These girls will not be happy with a bowl of cereal. Make ahead would be great too. For most meals I don't offer them choices, but have gotten into the habit with breakfast and that's a large part of the cause of the time consuming stuff. At night, I say that if they don't want to eat what I serve then go to bed hungry, but it's hard to do that in the morning.

[chiguirre]

In our house, GW has a standard weekday breakfast plate of 2 fried eggs, ham and whole wheat toast. It takes me about 5 minutes to do while I multitask with coffee prep and medication doses, so it's no big deal at all. This isn't the healthiest breakfast but he needs to eat a lot as a 14 yo, growing-like-a-weed boy.

 

Geezle, on the other hand, doesn't like to eat much at all, especially not in the morning. I buy him Sqlurp (a go-gurt knock off with regular yogurt in the plastic tube). It's not much, but he says it's enough until lunchtime and he will eat it without an argument.

 

T grazes throughout the morning while she does her schoolwork. She makes her own oatmeal, bagels, cereal, sandwiches, etc. so it doesn't take any of my time.

[umsami]

We make breakfast sandwiches and freeze them and then nuke them in the morning.  Pair it with a smoothie or something.  Usually I make soft scrambled eggs, add turkey bacon, and cheese and put it on an Egg McMuffin, sandwich thin, or GF wrap for DS2.  Then wrap in wax paper, and put them in a giant gallon ziploc baggie.

[SKL]

On a good day, I ask the girls as they are waking up what they would like, or tell them what choices they have.  Usually it's either egg and toast cooked to order, or a toasted bagel or waffle.  Pretty quick stuff.  With a side of fruit and a yogurt drink (which I buy in single-serve containers).  If time is tight, we skip the hot stuff and I put some dry cereal in plastic boxes.  Then I ask them to scarf down the fruit and drink at the table and bring the cereal to the car.

 

After a certain set time, they have to leave the table.  There is no opportunity to have a long, large breakfast.

[T'smom]

My kids are full the longest when we have scrambled eggs with lots of cheese. One kid will has it in a tortilla and one without. If they eat cereal/toast/bagels, they are hungry 30 minutes later.

[Annie G]

I think I know exactly what you mean...my granddaughters are like that.  They want a bowl of oatmeal, and 15 minutes after they eat that, they want a clementine. Then a few minutes later they want a scrambled egg...and it goes on. And also, neither of them want the same thing at the same time...one wants oatmeal first and the other wants toast. But within the hour, both have eaten both toast AND oatmeal...so it gets made twice.  The boy child is nearing two years old and he's starting this routine also. 

 

Other meals aren't like that at all, and I'm not sure how dd let breakfast get to be like this. I think part of it is due to not having to be dressed and out the door to be at school at a certain time.    It drives me crazy but doesn't bother dd much at all- and since they live 900 miles away I rarely have to do it. 

 

So I know what you mean. When the kids are at my house, I try to have things they can serve themselves, after asking. Fruit, yogurt, granola bars, precooked bacon in the fridge, etc.  I fix them one thing that they choose but if they want to graze, the need to pick things that are ready to eat (I will nuke the bacon for a few seconds to reheat it)

[myfunnybunch]

For most meals I don't offer them choices, but have gotten into the habit with breakfast and that's a large part of the cause of the time consuming stuff. At night, I say that if they don't want to eat what I serve then go to bed hungry, but it's hard to do that in the morning.

I think your key is right here.

 

Come up with some breakfast foods that you all like, put them on the table. That's breakfast. :) If someone chooses to skip breakfast, that's ok. It sounds like your family will understand if this meal policy is extended to breakfast. Mom isn't a short order cook.

 

We set a meal on the table in the morning. I make sure there is a protein, a fruit, and something else (muffins, toast, granola, oatmeal...). Maybe some yogurt or fresh veggies too. Everyone chooses from the available options, and that's the meal.

 

Muffins and scones are easy to make ahead and to make in double batches and freeze the extra.

 

Scrambles are easy to make. Just add your favorite veggies and/or cheese to scrambled eggs.

 

Smoothies are fun and easy.

 

A quick breakfast for mornings I'm in a hurry: Granola, yogurt, fruit. On the table quickly, easy to serve and to clean up.

 

Breakfast choices can be requested ahead of time. I often make what someone has asked for at the previous day's breakfast. So everyone still has an opportunity to eat their breakfast favorites. :)

 

Cat

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Why homeschool if they have to wolf down breakfast? 15 minutes, most children can't eat a real food breakfast that fast.

You can teach them not to have multiple courses in order to streamline and finish more quickly, but please, for their health and for the sake of continuing a very wholesome and beloved family tradition, keep cooking a good breakfast and give them time to eat it.

Make ahead is a great idea. Other time-saving ideas include teaching the kids to help get breakfast, setting the table the night before...I'm not trying to go all Mommy War on you about breakfast choices but I hope you'll cut big corners elsewhere. You've got a good thing going; tweak, don't scrap it.

[Ellie]

In my home, your breakfast method would not fly. :-)

 

I don't want my children to wolf down their food, but golly...here's your cereal and some fruit, or some eggs and toast, or pancakes, or whatever...now go away. And there is no more food for a couple of hours.

[nd293]

Some of the standard breakfasts for dd13 and I are:

 

French toast topped with chopped strawberries, banana and maple syrup

 

French toast topped with a poached peach, yoghurt and maple syrup

 

Toast and ham and cheese omelette

 

Toast, scrambled egg and smoked salmon

[Artichoke]

I think leisurely breakfast sounds fantastic. Can you play audio books and make use of it?

Our leisurely breakfast time is one of the favorite parts of our day. Every weekday, except for our tutorial day, we make time over breakfast to chat, read a family devotion, and then pray. In other words, it's our time to connect as a family.

 

As others have said, try to rethink this time where you can be both leisurely and productive at the same time.

 

Having a rotating menu of breakfast items has streamlined the process for us. Each day of the week has it's own assigned breakfast menu. Maybe you could set a weekly menu with your children's input that gets the day off to a start that makes you all happy. Some of our favorites are homemade waffles ( made in bulk and frozen ), omelets and fruit, fruit smoothie with homemade muffins ( made in bulk and frozen ), hash browns with eggs scrambled into them, and oatmeal in the crockpot. Only one of my children likes soft boiled eggs and toast points, but that's a fast and easy breakfast if they like it.

[Joker]

Is there a reason the meal has to be 15 minutes only? In our home we have snacks that are 15 minutes but no meals are that short. I don't thinks it's very healthy. My dds even get a 30 minute lunch in public school. They take their lunch so they get the entire time to eat it as well.

[KungFuPanda]

Fruit crisps are a breakfast food at my house. I use less sugar and more oatmeal than my original recipe demands. Some things can be made ahead and frozen:

 

Quiche

Breakfast burritos

Muffins

French toast

Pancakes

Just-add-water individual smoothie kits

 

Mrs Mungo's baked oatmeal is delicious and you can easily add fruit and nuts to the basic recipe. You can make it the night before and it keeps well for several days. There are also lots of French toast recipes that are prepped the night before and baked in the morning. Steel cut oats can cook in the crockpots overnight. English muffin-egg-cheese-Canadian bacon sandwiches are very filling and very quick to make. You can bake bacon in the oven and make enough to last a while. My kids like biscuits with browned sausage mixed into the dough. Biscuits are really fast to make if you just do drop biscuits and skip cutting them out.

[haley]

I try to rotate or mix these up for breakfast:

 

waffles or pancakes with fruit

cinnamon rolls (usually reserved for Sundays - kind of a tradition in our house)

oatmeal or cereal with either peaches, bananas, or strawberries

peanut butter toast with banana

breakfast sandwich (bacon, ham,or sausage with egg and cheese) on either a muffin, biscuit or croissant with orange slices

scrambled eggs and toast

bagels with cream cheese and fruit

 

and, if we're running late for something, poptarts and a fruit smoothie and out the door we go!

[Tanaqui]

Are they old enough that you can say "If you're so hungry, fix it yourself"?

[Snickerdoodle]

I solved this problem by having them start working before breakfast and to continue working through the meal .   Breakfast takes all morning here too but at least work is getting done.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I keep muffins, pancakes and waffles in the freezer to make my prep easier. They get up and about 20 min later they have one of the above plus milk and eggs or fruit if they want. I schedule a snack about 2 hr later, usually fruit and yogurt or cheese. I will let mine have an apple or banana anytime they want. They can do school and eat that at the same time.

[happypamama]

I pretty much make oatmeal or eggs every morning. Nothing else really fills them up for very long, and meat is too expensive to eat at breakfast during the week. They often have toast with their eggs, and I make them to order. Sometimes we have smoothies or fruit too. Breakfast is fairly leisurely, in that we sit down together for a good half hour to eat, talk, and read, but I set the menu, and we don't really graze much.

[LisaKinVA]

These are our typical week-day breakfasts -- please note, that we make most of these ahead of time and freeze.  I get out what we're going to have for breakfast at night, and let it thaw in the refrigerator so they can be re-heated quickly.

 

Egg/Muffin Sandwiches (Sausage or Canadian Bacon, Egg, Cheese on a toasted English Muffin)

Egg/Biscuit Sandwiches (Sausage or Bacon, Egg, Cheese on a homemade, whole-wheat biscuit)

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits (Biscuits can be frozen before after baking...)

Pancakes (I've done this 2 ways, pre-make the batter, add the baking soda/salt and re-mix in the blender and cook-to-order, or pre-make the pancakes, freeze in stacks of 4, and re-heat)

Breakfast Burritos (sauteed onions, peppers, chirozo sausage, eggs...sometimes breakfast potatoes, always cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Baked Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal (could also be done with peaches)

Breakfast Scrambles (these are made fresh...sauteed onions, peppers, sausage or ham, eggs, sprinkles of cheese)

Homemade Granola, Berries and Yogurt

Yogurt Drink (not smoothie), homemade muffin

 

On my list to try...but haven't done it yet...stuffed french toast.

 

[Night Elf]

For school days, have the kids help you make a meal schedule for breakfast and lunch, then hang it somewhere in the kitchen. You can even include a mid-morning snack (yogurt, PB crackers, cereal, etc.) If you don't want them grazing over a couple of hours, tell them you'll be sticking to the meal plan and they can forage on their own for ready made things if they can't hold out for lunch.

[MotherGoose]

Thanks for all the suggestions! My girls are 5 and 8 so not old enough to cook anything. I like to get school done by lunchtime and if breakfast lingers it may not happen. As for wolfing down the breakfast, it takes so long because of the eating one thing, then deciding that they need something else, etc. As soon as I sit down to eat someone needs something else. That's what makes me crazy. If everyone knew all they needed to eat at once and I could get it on the table at once, it would be much better.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Thanks for all the suggestions! My girls are 5 and 8 so not old enough to cook anything. I like to get school done by lunchtime and if breakfast lingers it may not happen. As for wolfing down the breakfast, it takes so long because of the eating one thing, then deciding that they need something else, etc. As soon as I sit down to eat someone needs something else. That's what makes me crazy. If everyone knew all they needed to eat at once and I could get it on the table at once, it would be much better.

I would keep a container with some muffins or yogurt and the fruit bowl on the table.  Serve them the eggs or whatever and they can reach over and get a muffin or fruit or yogurt from the table. That would be the choice.  Period.  Mama needs to eat too.  I'd work on that before school starts too.

[JustEm]

Thanks for all the suggestions! My girls are 5 and 8 so not old enough to cook anything. I like to get school done by lunchtime and if breakfast lingers it may not happen. As for wolfing down the breakfast, it takes so long because of the eating one thing, then deciding that they need something else, etc. As soon as I sit down to eat someone needs something else. That's what makes me crazy. If everyone knew all they needed to eat at once and I could get it on the table at once, it would be much better.

Those ages can certainly cook if you teach them and supervise at the stove. My 5 year old makes himself and his siblings oatmeal 2 times a week in The microwave before i even get up. He can also make eggs in a basket(egg fried in the middle of a piece of bread) by himself if I set up the pan and turn the stove on. Next step is teaching him scrambled eggs.

 

My suggestion, don't give them a chance to ask for more. Give them the choice but anticipate that they'll add to that list. At the table have a bunch offered and don't slow them to have anything that hasn't been served for breakfast

[kewb]

The first homeschool lesson my children had was to learn to cook themselves breakfast.

If you do not want to prepare a feast teach them how and tell then what time they have to be prepared to start school so they can plan what time they have to get upthe 5 year old can master simple things like frying an egg and making toast.

[Gentlemommy]

My girls are 3, 6, and 9. I only make breakfast for the 3 year old now. What happens here is that everyone wakes up at a different time. For the 3 year old and myself, then Dd1 and lastly dd2. Over the course of 2 hours! So I'll make dd3 eggs, bagels with cream cheese, fruit, waffles, or Greek yogurt. My 9 year old almost always has plain Greek yogurt with cocoa powder and a teaspoon of sugar, sometimes a bagel. My 6 year old has been eating plain Greek yogurt with granola and a spoonful of raspberry jam, bagel, or scrambled eggs with cheese. I just let everyone wake up when they do, have a quiet and leisurely breakfast, while mama drinks her two cups of coffee. ;)

[City Mouse]

What about having them help you plan breakfasts a week at a time and post the menus. That way they can see what day will have bacon and know that it is coming even if it is not on today's menu.

I wonder if part of the breakfast thing is that it is a way to spend time with you doing something they enjoy. So you might try scheduling a fun activity to start right after the shorter breakfast time to get their focus off the food.

[Bambam]

I can see I'm not going to win the Mom of the Year award.

 

I've always allowed my kids to make their own breakfast. I'll wake you up at 7, and you have till 8 to get up, get dressed (yes, I make them dress too), and eat your breakfast. School starts at 8.

 

I keep cereal, fresh eggs, flour tortillas, bacon, yogurt, various fresh fruit, nuts, peanut butter, and other options in the pantry and frig. They can make whatever they want.

 

Semi-regularly we will make mini-muffins and freeze them too. Morning glory muffins that have fruit, vegetable, and protein in them.

[Tanaqui]

Thanks for all the suggestions! My girls are 5 and 8 so not old enough to cook anything.

 

Not so! Five is old enough to make scrambled eggs (with supervision), smoothies, toast. Eight is more than old enough to make pancakes, french toast, muffins (with help for taking out of the oven). And of course, yogurt, fresh fruit, and cereal aren't "cooking".

 

And I bet, once the luster came off, they'd stop wanting so many extra dishes with breakfast :)

[MiMi 4under3]

Breakfast is usually self-serve at our house. I'm happy to make eggs or muffins if the kids request it ahead of time.

 

I tell DC that if they can eat whatever they want as long as they are ready to start school on time. If they want big, leisurely breakfasts, they have to wake up earlier.  ;)

[KungFuPanda]

Thanks for all the suggestions! My girls are 5 and 8 so not old enough to cook anything. I like to get school done by lunchtime and if breakfast lingers it may not happen. As for wolfing down the breakfast, it takes so long because of the eating one thing, then deciding that they need something else, etc. As soon as I sit down to eat someone needs something else. That's what makes me crazy. If everyone knew all they needed to eat at once and I could get it on the table at once, it would be much better.

I'd suggest that you make the cooked portion, say eggs and toast, and put it on the table. Then, you sit down to eat and stay down. The stove us closed. If they want to get up for fruit, yogurt, cheese, or to bring more OJ to the table, they're plenty old enough for that. They can even make more toast. I'm not one who had my 5-year-old scrambling eggs, but I wouldn't spend the entire meal jumping up and down to fetch for them.

[LisaKinVA]

My 5 and 8 year old can make themselves certain things for breakfast.  I have 1 liter bottles of milk/yogurt drinks, so the 5yo can easily pour herself a glass.  My 5yo can use the microwave, or grab a biscuit or a muffin, My 8yo can cook eggs and heat things up.  Part of why we make things ahead of time and freeze is to reduce cooking in the kitchen, and make it really easy for everyone to get their breakfast and clean up.  While I love to cook, I don't like my kitchen in a perpetual state of mess.  And, since we don't have central air, and we try to economize the a/c use, I try only to run the oven later at night and early in the morning.  It doesn't always work out -- but we do our best!  Oh, and 5yo dd eats hardboiled eggs -- something else she can get for herself out of the fridge.

 

My kids have to be dressed and ready/eating breakfast by 0700.  We don't have time to fool around in the mornings.  

[Annie G]

I think this is a lot like training a kid to sleep through the night, or breaking any other habit that has formed. You just have to resolve to change it, and the first week will be awful but then it gets better.  They'll adjust to not having breakfast last all morning, but it is an adjustment for them and there will likely be tears.  (Some from you, some from the kids.)

[G5052]

My kids are older, but I set the breakfast menu and try to take into account their favorites.  Usually I alternate sweets (cinnamon rolls, coffeecake, cobbler) with egg dishes (omelet, egg sandwich, breakfast burritos).  It is served at 8:00 am, and at 8:30 am they are expected to be engaged. Because they are mostly self-directed, it is not uncommon to see them doing some school before breakfast.

 

If they don't like what I serve, they have to make their own.  Both can manage toast and scrambled eggs.

 

Most of my local friends have their older kids make their own breakfast, but I like cooking for mine.  It's nice to have the time together in the morning.

[MotherGoose]

I need to explore the cooking for oneself issue more. The microwave is installed above the stove, so it's too high for them to reach without a chair. I normally use a toaster oven, not a toaster, which I manage to burn myself on regularly, but perhaps I should get a toaster. Also my 8 yo is short, too short to use much of anything without a chair/stool! This morning my little one had a low-grade temp, so I always defer to what they think might be good when they are sick. My older, who got up after the younger, ate the bagels and pears I gave her and miraculously was not hungry :) I think I need to just be more firm about it.

[Ellie]

I think this is a lot like training a kid to sleep through the night, or breaking any other habit that has formed. You just have to resolve to change it, and the first week will be awful but then it gets better.  They'll adjust to not having breakfast last all morning, but it is an adjustment for them and there will likely be tears.  (Some from you, some from the kids.)

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

[Acorn]

Sometimes, I forget how short my kids are.  My 8 year old can't reach the microwave or the knobs for the stove.  I let them use chairs to help me mix things on the counter but I'm not sure about chairs for the stove.

 

ETA: I also can't figure out how some other kids can do so many household chores.  Mine are not strong enough to use the vacuum.  I keep having them try, but they really just can't maneuver it. 

[myfunnybunch]

  :) I think I need to just be more firm about it.

 

:) I think so too. (Though sickies get catered to a little more, of course. Sorry your littlest isn't feeling her best.) You'll establish a new routine, which is rarely without a few bumps, and things will go smoothly again once everyone knows what to expect.

 

I've found that as the children get older, we make adjustments to routines to meet family and child needs. Everyone has survived. So far. :P

 

Cat

[Loowit]

We have a weekly menu that we follow.  The kids make their own breakfast and know that they need to be ready (done eating, dressed, etc) by 9 am on school days.  I don't have an open kitchen policy and I am not a short order cook.  My 8 year old can't really do much more that microwave oatmeal, but if he wants eggs or something his brother or sister are usually happy to help out.  I have them help with the menu so that they feel they have input.  If they want to deviate from the menu they need to ask first.  It would drive me nuts to have them snacking along all morning.

[Clear Creek]

I can see I'm not going to win the Mom of the Year award.

 

I've always allowed my kids to make their own breakfast. I'll wake you up at 7, and you have till 8 to get up, get dressed (yes, I make them dress too), and eat your breakfast. School starts at 8.

 

I keep cereal, fresh eggs, flour tortillas, bacon, yogurt, various fresh fruit, nuts, peanut butter, and other options in the pantry and frig. They can make whatever they want.

 

Semi-regularly we will make mini-muffins and freeze them too. Morning glory muffins that have fruit, vegetable, and protein in them.

 

This is exactly how it is in my house (right down to the time they wake up and the time they start school, lol). You might beat me for Mom of the Year award, though, because my kids also fix their own lunch starting at the age of four. My rules are no microwave use until the age of five, no sharp knives until the age of ten, and stovetop use has a minimum height requirement. I supervise, of course; I eat at the same time as the children so I am in the kitchen fixing my own food while they prepare theirs. There is no complaining at breakfast and lunch, though, because everyone eats what they want.

 

I was once having a conversation with a very good friend about this sort of thing, and we both walked away from the conversation in shock - she was in shock that I would let my kids fix their own meals, and I was in shock that she didn't let her kids fix their own meals. :lol:

[katilac]

Not so! Five is old enough to make scrambled eggs (with supervision), smoothies, toast. Eight is more than old enough to make pancakes, french toast, muffins (with help for taking out of the oven). And of course, yogurt, fresh fruit, and cereal aren't "cooking".

And I bet, once the luster came off, they'd stop wanting so many extra dishes with breakfast :)

 

While it's a great idea to teach kids how to cook, having to supervise them doesn't save time, which seems to be what she's after for school days.

 

And I have to laugh at the height comments - my kids could not have seen the top of the stove at 5! 

[TammyinTN]

Would a breakfast casserole made and put into daily containers help...they would only have to microwave their portion and make a slice of toast to have a healthy breakfast? 

[Tanaqui]

While it's a great idea to teach kids how to cook, having to supervise them doesn't save time, which seems to be what she's after for school days.

 

And I have to laugh at the height comments - my kids could not have seen the top of the stove at 5! 

 

I don't stand right over them to supervise - the stove is right next to the sink, so I wash dishes or wipe down the table while they stir the eggs.

 

[Trilliums]

My kids often have left overs for breakfast.   Leftover chicken and broccoli fills them up.

[AK_Mom4]

Dd13 perfected the "leisurely breakfast" routine last year. She had a class that started at 7am and didn't like to eat before as she is a musician and said it upset her stomach. When she would get home at 8:30, she would start school work and breakfast. A scrambled egg and math, toast or a muffin and English. Piano practice, then fruit and history. Wrapping up with a grilled cheese sandwich about 11am to transition into lunch. She stopped eating about 12:30 and finished up her school work and more music practice.

 

I would recommend more self-serve foods and starting school work after the first dish. Let them break for a few minutes between subjects to grab more food if they are hungry. Small Frequent meals have worked well here, even when DD was too little to do the cooking herself.

[Spryte]

I think leisurely breakfast sounds fantastic. Can you play audio books and make use of it?

 

Yes, can I come have breakfast at your place, OP?  :)

[KungFuPanda]

Sometimes, I forget how short my kids are.  My 8 year old can't reach the microwave or the knobs for the stove.  I let them use chairs to help me mix things on the counter but I'm not sure about chairs for the stove.

 

ETA: I also can't figure out how some other kids can do so many household chores.  Mine are not strong enough to use the vacuum.  I keep having them try, but they really just can't maneuver it.

 

 

 

This was my house. My oldest was TINY. She hit 30 pounds at the age of SIX. She is 17 now, human-sized, and fully capable of doing all the regular household chores better than DH. The extra years of not vacuuming haven't harmed her, and since we have a small family it was no big deal to do more things for my kids at a later age.

 

 

 

Dd13 perfected the "leisurely breakfast" routine last year. She had a class that started at 7am and didn't like to eat before as she is a musician and said it upset her stomach. When she would get home at 8:30, she would start school work and breakfast. A scrambled egg and math, toast or a muffin and English. Piano practice, then fruit and history. Wrapping up with a grilled cheese sandwich about 11am to transition into lunch. She stopped eating about 12:30 and finished up her school work and more music practice.

I would recommend more self-serve foods and starting school work after the first dish. Let them break for a few minutes between subjects to grab more food if they are hungry. Small Frequent meals have worked well here, even when DD was too little to do the cooking herself.

I've don't things like this. If a full breakfast, chores, or getting dressed is what delays your start time, sometimes it's more efficient to do things in a different order. Start the day with a pajama read-aloud and a cup of cocoa. We've started school with a cup of tea, then had real breakfast after knocking our a few subjects. Sometimes I get my kids halfway through their day, then get myself showered and dressed during their break. Sometimes your brain is just ready to go before your body is interested in participating for the day. Also, I find kids move faster when you say. "We'll start Science in 30 minutes. Once you're dressed and your bed is made, the rest of the time is yours." Suddenly they CAN do those two tasks in less than 5 minutes.

 

I'm not a schedule person and manage to get things done in fits of energy. One of my kids IS a schedule person though. He NEVER wants to play it by ear and likes to know exactly what we're doing before he even starts. With my oldest, I could pull the next subject out of my hat while she worked on something, or adjust the number of subjects because something took more or less time than I thought it would, but that just didn't fly with the next kid. So, a written, posted schedule may be all it takes to get some feet-draggers on track.