In a world full of unpredictability, children’s physical health, mental health, development, and overall satisfaction are greatly influenced by their daily routine. Routines and consistency in children’s lives offer them a sense of comfort and self-control knowing what to expect throughout the day. Routines also have the power to help guide children towards specific goals and promote positive behavior and safety. In a study conducted by Malatras et al. (2016), their results found that family stability, in which daily routines contribute, were associated with fewer attention problems and better time management skills.
Here are some tips for creating and implementing a daily routine with your child’s life:
Start Small: Committing to an hour by hour, minute by minute can be daunting and is not the most realistic. Ensuring that typical daily activities including meals, naps, bedtime, and wake up time occur around the same time each day can be a good start for creating consistency in your child’s life.
Visual Calendar: Creating a visual calendar that you and your child can refer to throughout the week will help you and your family adhere to the schedule and it will encourage the frequent use of the schedule.
Make Time for Rest: Life can get hectic with appointments, extracurricular activities, and curveballs. By creating space and time for play and relaxation with your children, this will help improve the balance of life by not only getting the big stuff done. Also, maintaining intentionality with this time by not checking emails or trying to multi-task during these moments can help bring foster a stronger relationship with your child and thus, helping to reduce behavioral challenges or misunderstandings.
Malatras, J. W., Israel, A. C., Sokolowski, K. L., & Ryan, J. (2016). First things first: Family activities and routines, time management and attention. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 47, 23–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2016.09.006
Street, 1255 23rd, Washington, N. S. 350, & Dc 20037638-1144899-4301. (n.d.). Creating Routines for Love and Learning. ZERO TO THREE. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/223-creating-routines-for-love-and-learning
Comments