Committing to an established routine is a form of acknowledging priorities on a daily basis. Children and adults alike are guided by their respective routines in accomplishing things that are important. It is beneficial to teach children the importance of having routines at a young age as it is also an exercise in sequencing events and prioritizing tasks.
Having your child involved in the decision making process leads to a more cooperative attitude towards the commitment to the routine. Imposing a routine without a child’s input may result to resistance, conflict, and unpleasant interactions.
Below are some recommended steps:
- In a family meeting (could be over snacks, during play time, or on any agreed upon time), identify daily activities that matter and list them out.
sample activities: fix bed, brush teeth and take a bath, eat, attend class, do homework, practice playing the piano, play time, therapy time, gardening, read a book, pray, movie time with the family, sleep - Discuss why every activity is important and why it deserves a spot on the daily routine.
- Plot the activities on the free worksheet provided.
- Have copies of the daily schedule in areas that are accessible to you and your child.
- At the end of the day, evaluate how the day panned out.
Over time, observe how having routines would lead to a happier and more harmonious household because family members respect and give importance to each and every activity that has been identified in the family meeting.
Routines are important, even for children, because their commitment to the agreed upon activities plotted on specified time slots comes with self-discipline and staying true to one’s promises and commitment to self and others.
Included in this blog is a desktop organizer for the month of March and our March 2022 Freebie that may be helpful in establishing routines.
If you have concerns related to establishing routines and how it impacts socioemotional development, inteleplay® GROW is here for you! Contact us to set an appointment with our psychologist. 😊
