My child keeps forgetting a water bottle, folder or sports kit at home. I used to rush everything to school, but that's turning me into an unpaid courier and not helping them remember. We've put a visual checklist by the door and started packing the night before. When is it reasonable to let a forgotten nonessential item stay forgotten, rather than rescuing the day every time?
Handling repeated forgotten school items without becoming the delivery service
- parenting
- handling
- repeated
- forgotten
11
5 replies
I’d let it be forgotten if it’s truly nonessential and the natural consequence is small. A missing water bottle is annoying; a missing sport...
I’d let it be forgotten if it’s truly nonessential and the natural consequence is small. A missing water bottle is annoying; a missing sports kit for one practice is not the end of the world.
Agreed, but I wouldn’t rescue every time just because the kid is having a rough morning. If we keep playing courier, they don’t really have a reason to remember.
That’s where I’m torn. My kid has actually improved more from one or two uncomfortable consequences than from all my reminders put together.