Preschoolers Who Don’t Want to Be on Schedule

[Flowerchild]

I'm not sure if it's just me but my kids hate circle time. They hate to clean. They only want to play in centers all day. That's not a huge problem but it's to the point where I wonder if my kids just don't want to do anything but what they want to do. It's getting frustrating. Tired of hearing no. Any suggestions on how yo make it easier to do activities with the kids. This is my first time really on a schedule with the kids but they should be getting it by, shouldn't they? My schedule is 8 30 bathroom after breakfast which they hate, centers until 9 30 so about 30 to 45 minutes until circle time then music then art for 15 minutes each. Then outdoors for about 45 minutes. Lunch nap and snack then go outside with centers in between. They do bathroom water and centers until going home but hate cleaning and refuse to pick up before going somewhere else. And mornings is the hardest.

[Flowerchild]

I guess to make more sense in it I feel like I have to put much more effort in getting kids to do simple things like stand in a straight line to put bubbles in their mouths when in the lobby at bathroom time because tend to get loud in the lobby, clean a room for an activity, even with cleanup song etc. Its hard to even get them all sitting still and listening at circle time. Boys get books and read while I'm trying to teach and not pay attention or they grab pillows in cozy center next to us and rough play or just talk to each other. It's hard and makes me feel stupid trying to do anything.

[Meeko]

Put bubbles in their mouths??

[Ac114]

Originally Posted by Meeko

Put bubbles in their mouths??

It’s a term to be quiet. It’s actually “catch a bubble please”

[Ariana]

Creativity is key here! I play a game called “Clean up robots” where everyone is assigned a certain area to clean up. I talk like a robot and the kids pretend they are robots and they love it. No idea why but it works. I also get them excited about what is coming next, so I might say “whoever cleans up the best gets to play first on the swings” or whatever the kids love to play with and fight over. Every day I will pick someone new to give each person who is helping a chance to be first. At the end of the day I promise them a game but its a secret game that will only be revealed once the playroom is clean. Then I play some sort of game with them!

[NiNi.R.]

Originally Posted by Ariana

Creativity is key here! I play a game called “Clean up robots” where everyone is assigned a certain area to clean up. I talk like a robot and the kids pretend they are robots and they love it. No idea why but it works. I also get them excited about what is coming next, so I might say “whoever cleans up the best gets to play first on the swings” or whatever the kids love to play with and fight over. Every day I will pick someone new to give each person who is helping a chance to be first. At the end of the day I promise them a game but its a secret game that will only be revealed once the playroom is clean. Then I play some sort of game with them!

We do cleaning robots too and the kids love it! However, a very clever 4 year old of mine, who wasn't cleaning, said to me in a robot voice "can't clean, battery low, need charged." I told him he could charge up on his cot and miss the next activity or keep cleaning. He kept cleaning.

[hwichlaz]

Originally Posted by NiNi.R.

We do cleaning robots too and the kids love it! However, a very clever 4 year old of mine, who wasn't cleaning, said to me in a robot voice "can't clean, battery low, need charged." I told him he could charge up on his cot and miss the next activity or keep cleaning. He kept cleaning.