Late to bed and late to rise makes momand kids tardy

Dear Abby:

I will be spending a couple of months visiting my daughter, who is a single mom. She has asked me to help her wake her 8and 11-year-old kids in the morning and have them ready for school.

Unfortunately, she works some distance away from her home. The kids attend private school and are involved in sports. The problem is, they eat and go to bed later than they should. In the morning, they can’t wake up or get out of bed. She reminds them repeatedly to get ready, but when it’s time to leave and they’re not dressed or haven’t eaten breakfast, my daughter begins raising her voice. Leaving late means the kids arrive at school late, and my daugh- ter is late for work.

I’m leaving in a couple of weeks and need some guidance on how to approach this no-win situation. Rise and Shine in Maine

Dear Rise and Shine:

I’m surprised the teachers haven’t complained about your grandchildren’s constant tardiness, or that your daughter’s boss hasn’t warned her about her constant lateness. It’s time you and your daughter had a private chat.

As you have stated, your grandchildren are going to bed so late it’s interfering not only with their school schedule, but their mother’s work schedule. The obvious solution would be for her to get the kids to bed at an earlier hour, with lights off and no electronics. You can enforce it while you are there, but unless your daughter is willing to continue to do that, nothing will change.