Do your children’s Monday morning moods seem to last till Friday morning? Well, you are not alone. The glazed over eyes, known as the “look,” and unemotional tone is not because your children are lazy. They are just tired. Early school times and lack of sleep cause children to be pretty grumpy in the morning.

Lack of sleep also makes children less interested in eating breakfast, which is said to be the most important meal of the day. Children would rather get a few extra minutes of sleep instead of waking up early to eat breakfast. The Scholastic website tells parents children need fuel for their brain, and that fuel is food. Food provides the energy necessary to have a productive day. Scholastic also provides a helpful list of breakfast foods to start your child’s day.

Help your children out by buying breakfast food they can eat on the go, or have something waiting for them when they come to the kitchen. Instead of giving them a bowl of cereal filled with sugar, try giving them a healthier option. Some quick, healthy breakfast options are yogurt with fresh fruit and wheat germ (a healthy substitute for granola), a whole-wheat bagel with peanut butter, or a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of fat-free skim milk.

Sleep for Kids, a service of the National Sleep Foundation, says children need 10-11 hours of sleep every night. The website also gives a good list of tips to help students get a healthy amount of sleep, such as removing TVs and computers from their bedrooms. Games, movies, and TV shows are addictive. When these items are not monitored, children may waste hours of much needed sleep on technology. Help remove the distractions, so your children will get a good night’s rest.

Mornings may not be the best time to have a deep conversation with your children because they are not fully awake, so don’t make matters worse by trying to force conversations on major topics and lots of questions. Dinner time and later in the evening is a better time for deep conversation.

Support your children’s education by teaching them time management. Give them set times to watch TV and play video games, or make sure all their homework is done before they spend time on these activities.

Your children’s education is very important-especially at a young age, so help them perform at their full potential. A simple good night’s rest, and a full belly in the morning will truly affect how a child performs in school.