Try a Morning Tape to Help Get That Slow-Starter Going

After many tears and much morning turmoil, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, single mom Bonnie Edwards invented a fun way to get her eight-year-old ready for school on time: a “portable mom” in the form of a cassette tape.

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Edwards recorded her daughter’s favorite songs off the radio and added messages of love and encouragement in between.

After the first song, she turned down the radio to record the first message her daughter would hear in the morning. This included morning greetings and a gentle prodding for her to pick out her clothes.

At the end of the next song, Edwards asked her daughter to bring her clothes into her mom’s bedroom so they could visit while she dressed. Another message told of how proud she was of her daughter.

The alternative recordings of songs and messages went on for 45 minutes—ample time for her daughter to eat and get dressed.

“This tape changed our lives,” says Edwards. There’s no more fighting, missed buses and mornings where mom’s late for work.

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