One of the most stressful parts of raising tweens and teens is the daily battle to get them to school on time. As Circle of Moms member Courtney J. laments, "My 13-year-old daughter misses the bus every day. Then she yells and throws fits about being late. I don't have a clue how to make her get on the bus and get to school on time.” And even if you do, you have to navigate a heaping helping of morning grouchiness. Molly M.'s 15-year-old son is so unbearable in the mornings that she has begun to dread them.

Here, Circle of Moms members offer 7 insights and tips that will help you get your sleepy child to her desk in time for the morning bell.

1. Use alarm clocks in unexpected ways

Getting your child out of bed and en route to school on time is especially challenging to moms of teens and tweens because when kids reach this stage, they are wired to sleep late. Yes, that's right: with all those growth-spurt-inducing hormones coursing through their veins, they need the extra zzzzz’s. As Circle of Moms Sabrina H. observes, “Those hormones demand sleep don’t they." But that unfortunately doesn't change the fact that kids need to get to school on time.

Sabrina suggests using more than one alarm clock, and placing them on opposite sides of the bedroom "so she has to get up" to deal with "the annoying buzz."

Sometimes, the trick to getting a tween or teen out of bed on time is exactly that, a trick. Lynda M. suggests "setting their clocks a half hour later." That way, by the time your child "realizes what you did" she will be further along in her routine.

2. Become a wake-up drill sergeant

The best — if not the most pleasant — way to get your child on the move is to become a wake up drill sergeant.  Aramanth D. and her daughters worked out a plan together, one that begins with setting the alarm to go off 30 early. Then, Amaranth goes in and calls them "15 minutes after the alarm goes off," followed by turning on their bedroom light after another ten minutes, and finally letting them know they only have five minutes left "to get out of bed and ready for the day."

Some moms resort to ruder awakenings: while Mandy E. thinks pulling off the covers is a little too much, she recommends removing the pillow from under your child's sleepy head, opening the blinds to let the sun shine in, and when that doesn't work, opening the window "to let the room chill for a minute."

Then there's Amanda R.'s suggestion: ringing some cow bells.

3. Insist your child take responsibility

Though some moms take the onus of responsibility for getting their kids to school on time onto themselves, others feel that it should be up to the tween or teen. “Let her figure it out,” says Barbilee H. "She is 13, she knows how to tell time. It is not your job to make sure she gets on the bus, let her know that. Yes, you are the parent and yes you can support her. But, if she misses it, make sure she makes other arrangements. Have her take responsibility. Teach her to be accountable now and she will thank you for it later."

One way to help kids learn responsibility is to establish rules that have real consequences. Jennifer L. suggests explaining to your child that if the procrastinating doesn't end, you will take away something she values, like her Facebook privilege, or her cell phone.

Both Alana L. and Linda C. believe that kids should be made to face the natural consequences of habitual lateness. Alana explains, "Since this is a habit, you should not help her out. When you come to her rescue, it reinforces the behavior. When she is late, she will have to answer to teachers and will have to make up the time at school. . . ." And Linda C. suggests the most obvious of natural consequences: insisting that your child walk to school when she misses the bus.

4. Collaborate on a new routine

Many Circle of Moms members feel that parents have to be careful not to enable their kids' poor behavior and habits. “I know this is going to be hard to learn, but you are in the enabling model now,” says Jude in reference to moms who make excuses for their habitually late tweens and teens. "Start with a list of rules printed out and posted in the hallway (poster sized and numbered) for your home and your expectations. Have a family meeting that explains these rules and the consequences, and then stick to them strongly."

Amaranth found the family meeting approach helpful Her 14- and 15-year-old daughters "find it very hard to get up in the mornings," so she sat down with them and worked out a plan, which included pinpointing "the latest they could get up" and still be ready for school on time.

Part of Circle of Moms member Molly M.'s plan with her 15-year-old son is an earlier bedtime. 

5. Prepare for school the night before

Amaranth suggests encouraging your kids to get as much of their morning routines done the night before. To battle morning lateness, her girls now "do things to make their mornings easier - for instance, they lay out their clothes (school uniforms required at their school) so that they don't have to search for anything in the morning, it's all there for them. They also shower or have a bath at night, that way they can just do a quick wash in the morning and be ready to go without having to factor in showering and drying hair.”

6. Get the school involved

Some Circle of Moms members say that sometimes moms need to reach out to the teachers and school administration to ask for help in reinforcing the rules and for help in getting their teens to school on time. “I had to bring it to the school's attention and ask for their help,” says Tara H. “They read her the riot act, and issued a suspension (one day) in hopes that it would get through to her. My daughter believed she was 'above' riding in a bus. Now she either rides her bus, or has another mom drive her."

7. Figure out what’s causing the stalling

If all else fails, it could be that here's a hidden reason for your child's stalling, and as Circle of Moms member Brenda B. points out, it's worth investigating. Kids who are being taunted by a bully, either on the school bus or at school, are likely to resist the morning rush to get to either place. “Ask her why she doesn’t want to ride the bus. Is [stalling or procrastinating] a habit in her life in other areas? . . .It will take some time the night before but it may make the mornings smoother."

How do you get your child to school on time?

Image Source: Husan Sani via Flickr/Creative Commons

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

Wondering when your daughter should start wearing a bra? Many Circle of Moms members have raised this question and wonder how to make the shopping experience a good one for their daughters. To help, we’ve rounded up their best tips on everything from knowing when she's ready to helping her find the right bra.

When to Get a Bra

Circle of Moms members have shared two solid reasons to take your daughter bra shopping. The first, not surprisingly, is that she’s developing breasts. As Glenda E. puts it, “When you notice she is showing through her tops, then you know it's time.”

The other reason to take your daughter bra shopping for the first time is simply that she wants to go. Shawn B. explains: “My daughter is twelve now. She is very small and started developing after her friends…She was just self-conscious about it. She wasn't physically ready but I took her to pick out a couple [of bras] that she would be comfortable wearing… her self-esteem was more important than whether she was physically ready.”

What Type of Bra to Get

Many moms recommend starting your daughter with a sports bra-style bra. Rox M., a mom who’s been a bra fit specialist for years, advises: “The best thing I've found for young girls who are just starting to ‘bud’ is a simple sports-style bra…it's a very simple pull-over style.”

Other moms recommend a style that’s part bra, part camisole. Tricia B. shares of her daughter: “She really likes the ones that look like a half cami/sport bra.” Penelope C. agrees: “Maybe those tank tops with the built in bra would be good for her. My daughter likes those.”

Corrine D. opted for trying several different styles: “We went for variety. That way she could make a decision on what she likes and feels comfortable with.”

In terms of styles to shy away from, many Circle of Moms members advise against buying padded bras for young girls, and also steering clear bras with underwire. As Connie S. explains: “Don't buy underwire. It is not good for girls who are still developing and they are usually uncomfortable."

Shopping Tips

Ready to hit the stores? Circle of Moms members offer two key pieces of advice.

First, be sure to have your daughter measured. Michelle H. speaks from personal experience: “Teach her right off that it is okay to go in and have a fitting. I think that the worst thing that my mother did was to just bring one home for me.” If your daughter is really uncomfortable going in for a fitting, you can measure her bra size at home using these steps supplied by Circle of Moms members Rachel:

1. Measure around the ribcage underneath the breasts and add 3 inches. That number is the band-size.
2. Measure around the breasts and subtract the band-size. The resulting number indicates cup-size. A difference of less than an inch is AA, 1 inch is A, 2 inches is a B cup, and so on.

In addition to getting a proper fitting while shopping, many moms recommend making the experience a special mother-daughter event. Christi S. recently took her 10-year-old daughter bra shopping for the first time and shares that, "She was shy about bra shopping at first and so was I, but we made a girl day out of it and it turned out to a great 'mommy and me day' for the both of us!"

Lori W. even used the mother-daughter shopping time to address other coming-of-age events: “Last year we started with jog bras and cami's with liners. She blossomed a bit over the summer so we made an outing out of going to Target and picking out some cute bras … we also used that time to purchase items for a special "period" box for when she needs it (tampons, pads, motrin, chocolate). She loved the day!”

Noticing mascara or lip gloss on your daughter's face for the first time can really catch you off guard! As Circle of Moms member Marie C. shares, this moment came for her when her 10-year-old daughter told her that "she's the only one that doesn't wear makeup in her class . . . .I was shocked."

Another mom, Patrice J., had her surprise moment at the dinner table one night.  "As my family sat down to dinner I noticed that my oldest, my 11-year-old, was avoiding my husband and I. So as we made conversation over dinner she looked up and I saw why. She looked like a raccoon. . . . I asked her what happened to your face she said 'oh my friends put it on.'"

Marie and Patrice are far from the only Circle of Moms members wondering how to handle a makeup suprise. These days, girls as young as nine are telling their moms that they want to wear lip gloss and mascara, and moms say they want to know how to respond. If your daughter has reached this stage, here are seven great tips, all suggested by Circle of Moms members, for helping her develop a healthy, moderate, and hygienic approach to wearing makeup.

1. Explain the Health and Hygiene Issues