Day Eight- Children Crave Routine

A former music pastor in our church used to always say “There’s something about life that is so daily.”  Can I get an “amen?!”  Same chores, same job, same people, same, same, same!!  Often it can all get a little too monotonous.

But can I let you in on a little secret?  Children crave routine.  They love it.  They thrive in that environment.  Predictability provides security, one of our most basic human needs.  Kids love to know what’s going to happen next in their day.  With so much of their lives completely out of their control, a reliable routine gives them a small semblance of control in their world.  A good routine can help reduce behavior issues and create a much more peaceful place to live.

Unfortunately, parents often don’t make effective use of routine with their children.  Perhaps it appears to be unimportant or getting organized seems like a lot of work. Whatever the case may be, it has been my experience that without a plan for the day, chaos will quickly ensue, and everyone ends up grumpy.  Now, I’m not suggesting that you schedule every minute of every day.  That would be too complicated and failure would be virtually guaranteed.  A daily routine should be fairly simple, such as:  get up and get ready, have breakfast, morning playtime (or school), lunch, nap time (or quiet time), afternoon playtime, dinner, and bedtime.  The actual schedule for each time frame can be made more specific to meet the needs for your family.  For example, the “get up and get ready” portion might include specific tasks like making the bed, brushing teeth, etc.

Before my girls could read, I created a chart using pictures that outlined our routine for the day.  They each also had a check-list of tasks (again using pictures) that they had to do each day.  Completed check-lists resulted in a reward at the end of the week.  I liked this system because it helped them to become more independent in taking care of themselves.  Rather than nagging them about each responsibility, I could just refer them to their chart.

Choose whatever organization method that will work for your family.  Be creative and involve everyone. A good routine really can simplify your daily life.