Bring the stuffed animal

About this visual support

It is ten to eight, shoes are on and the front door is open when someone asks where the teddy is. It is still under the duvet, and now it has to be fetched just when you should already be on your way. For many young children the stuffed animal is a piece of home that makes drop-off easier, so forgetting it is more than a small slip. It can change the whole morning.

The visual support turns the stuffed animal into its own step in the morning routine instead of something expected to come along by itself. The pictures show children carrying their teddy in their arms, holding it high above their head, or with the teddy in one hand and the bag in the other. Put one picture where your child gets dressed and one by the door, so the reminder is in two places.

A practical tip is to choose a fixed spot where the stuffed animal waits in the morning, for example on top of the bag in the hall, the evening before. Then the step is about taking it, not searching for it. If you want the reminder in your child's morning schedule with a picture and a tick box, you can try Routined for 14 days at no cost.