The Advantages of Learning To Be On Time

Neil Mufson, Head of School

 

As winter churns onward, I have noticed more and more students arriving late to school. Children are supposed to be in their classrooms no later than 8:25 each day. However, you can give your child a significant advantage if you arrive at least 15 minutes before that time. The corollary is also true: by being late more than very occasionally, you place your child at a significant disadvantage.

 

By arriving well before the 8:25 bell, children have time to settle into the day in a balanced, focused, and relaxed manner. They have a better chance of remaining organized throughout the day since they don’t have to rush to unpack their things, gather needed materials, and begin their routines. They also have time to socialize with their peers; read books; do some drawing or writing; play imaginatively or with our stashes of child-directed resources; or get some extra attention from their teacher. In short, by consistently arriving on time, our young friends can begin their days more positively. They can engage in their class’s pre-Morning Meeting routine in an unstressed, unrushed, more centered way. 

 

Being on time also teaches your child to respect not just time commitments but also others. Tardiness inevitably disrupts the class and the routines of those here on time. Punctuality, on the other hand, is one of the fundamental building blocks we seek to instill in our children because it is considerate and often leads to more effective time management, collaboration, and the strongest possible achievement.

 

Some of the most effective strategies to improve punctuality include getting to bed on time the night before; packing the backpack with all needed materials before bedtime and leaving it right in front of the door; leaving shoes in the same spot every night; laying out the next day’s clothes as part of your child’s bedtime routine; and even packing after dinner those lunch and snack items that can be put together early. 

 

Of course we all have mornings when things just go wrong and we get behind schedule. That’s part of being human and even benefits young children by helping them develop resilience, flexibility, and patience. But by arriving on time or even early, our children have a better chance of being as strong as they can be.