Children need and crave routine. Routine helps establish security and peace in a child's life. A bedtime routine will establish good sleeping patterns. A dinnertime routine establishes the importance of family interaction, homework schedules will help your child get their homework done on time and with little fuss.

Routines are an ideal way to keep your family and children calm, secure and at ease with life's variables. Children will thrive with schedules that are easy to understand and accomplish, yet flexible enough to change if circumstances warrant. We do not want to rule our families with an iron fist, adhering to the schedule without compromise; however, good routines will keep your family organized and will establish an environment of tranquility for all family members.

Babies especially thrive on routine. They will become secure and happy with strict adherence to their daily feeding and sleeping schedules, which are, ultimately, their most important routines.

Little children need routines and schedules in order to learn how to manage their time and attention. When they know what we expect of them, they learn to comply with the rules without question. This allows children to feel more confident by understanding their roles in the family.

Incorporating family routines, such as watching a particular television show the whole family enjoys once a week, visiting or inviting Grandparents for holidays, birthday celebrations and any other routines your family loves become tradition, create positive, stable family memories, and make life easier to manage for everyone. Learning to schedule time, be organized and create routine will serve children well for when they are on their own and need to manage their lives, jobs and responsibilities.

© Rexanne Mancini - 2007

Are there other tips on establishing a routine which have worked well for you? Share your thoughts and gain EduPoints.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com at http://www.rexanne.com. Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne's Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

Comments (0)

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment