Getting ready to leave
Shoes, coats, getting out the door
You said "five more minutes" twenty minutes ago. Now you're late, they're shoeless, and everyone's frustrated. Getting out the door is a daily stress test for the whole family.
What to Know
Getting out the door combines every hard thing: transitions, time pressure, multi-step tasks, and often leaving something enjoyable for something less appealing. It's a daily stress test that reveals whatever executive function or regulation challenges your child has.
The child who's still shoeless fifteen minutes after you said "five more minutes" isn't defying you — they likely got distracted, couldn't sequence the steps, or found the transition too hard to initiate. Knowing this doesn't make mornings less frustrating, but it does point toward better solutions.
What helps: starting earlier than you think you need to, breaking down steps, visual checklists, making sure everything is ready the night before, and having a consistent routine that becomes automatic over time.
Signs to Watch
- •Can't get ready without constant reminders
- •Gets distracted between steps
- •Loses shoes, backpack, or other essentials regularly
- •Makes the family consistently late
- •Has meltdowns during the leaving process
- •Resists more on days with less desirable destinations
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