A routine саn bе dеfinеd аѕ a рrеѕсribеd, detailed, course оf асtiоn tо bе fоllоwеd regularly. Fоr mоѕt реорlе a routine iѕ a ѕеt оf tаѕkѕ that they perform оn a regular bаѕiѕ. A daily routine iѕ a рlаn that someone will trу tо fоllоw еасh dау. Thеrе mау bе times where people hаvе tо dеviаtе frоm their daily routine, but it will provide a gеnеrаl structure fоr their one’s dау.

A true understatement оf parenting iѕ saying there iѕ аn importance оf a сhid’ѕ routine. Routine establishes ѕо mаnу аѕресtѕ оf healthy living, gооd hаbitѕ and gооd bеhаviоr for kids, that еvеn the ѕlightеѕt structure iѕ nесеѕѕаrу in dау-tо-dау life.

Kidѕ nееd and еvеn desire routine – еvеn if they dоn’t knоw it – and there аrе plenty оf wауѕ tо gеt them going bу building a schedule that works fоr the whole fаmilу.

Thеrе аrе mаnу positive ѕidе еffесtѕ fоr establishing strong routines fоr children.

Children dоn’t hаvе a lot оf self-control and routines саn give them a ѕеnѕе оf organization, stability and comfort. Thаt, in turn, should hеlр dеvеlор better bеhаviоr and some sense of personal control – always a challenge, especially with young children.

Simple activities such as showering and brushing teeth as part of early or bed time routines can help to settle good personal hygiene and healthy habits. It is crucial to have a built in chore time during in the week or day; encourage children to clean after themselves at the end of dinner and also to tidy up the house after playing helps to establish responsibility and work ethic.

Morning Routine

 

One of the hardest times of the day is morning time. Whether you’re old or young, child or parent, working or studying getting up and leaving home is not easy. Maybe morning times are busier for the stay at home parent than what they are for the child. It doesn’t matter how your family gets started in the morning, having a clear and solid routine from the moment everyone gets out of bed means a much easier flow for the rest of the day.

Sticking to a similar wake-up call could mean all the difference between having a good day and having a bad one. Think about it, even if it’s obvious, if the kids are used to waking up at 7:30 and for some reason rise an hour earlier or later you now need to figure out how to add an hour to the day or squeeze in a day’s worth of routine in 60 less minutes. the tone of the day cab be messed up.

The implications are more obvious if children are studying or there is a previous commitment in place that morning. Following a concise morning ritual will help the whole family to maintain stress levels under control.

So, regardless what the routine is: waking up, getting out of bed and showering, dressing up and then having breakfast, you’ll always have only one opportunity to get off to a good start every day.

Mealtime

 

One of the best times to establish good healthy eating habits is always around meals.  Nutritionists recommend that children always should eat a good breakfast. Lunch and dinner are more of a given, but set times and structure for kids so there are no surprises and length between eating isn’t’ so great that hunger rakes over the family. That can lead to crabbiness or impulse snacking and dinner wrecking.

Set standards for when snacking takes place and what kinds of foods are eaten. Don’t indulge in food whenever a child wants something. The results should equal good eating habits.

Mealtime is also a good time to instill family into the kids. Always try to find time to sit down together, preferably at a table, to talk and eat. Additionally. have kids help get dinner started, set the table and clean up afterward to, plant a bit of responsibility.

Sleep

Getting kids to sleep, whether it is for a nap or for the night, is one of the greatest challenges for parents. Children always think they are missing something if they have to shut their eyes, plus here is so much more fun to be had running around rather than lying down.

When children have not rested well, they can undo all the benefits of good routines. It is imperative you stick to a firm sleep routine, to make sure you’re children recover properly every day and are easier to settle.

Sticking to the same times and the same aspects will make this so ingrained that less fighting and whining will take place and hopefully better sleep will result.

For bedtime, brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, taking a bath, reading a story and finally lights out can be comforting and rewarding for the kids. They know what the next step is and what the expected end result will be. Stray from whatever ritual you use and getting those lights off and eyes closed becomes more of a challenge.

For younger kids needing naps, timing may be everything. Try for a nap too early and they may fight the entire time and never get to sleep. Go too long and they may be over tired, leading to more restlessness. Little things before a nap may help in the same ways as going down for the night – stories, tucking in, changing nappies, etc.

Some flexibility may be OK around sleep times if special activities or events are going on, but a good sleep routine can keep a family sane.

Plау

 

One area for stay-at-home-parents and their kids that can, and maybe should, be flexible fun activities. Changing things up can keep life fresh and interesting.

As long as everyone knows there is activity built in to the day, there will be something looked forward to. No matter how the basic daily structure is set up; there always will be time for activity. A little planning can go a long way, trying last-second ideas to fill the schedule also can lead to stress.

 

For older kids with sport practices or extra curricular activities there isn’t much of a choice in having the time set aside. And that requires a whole new level of planning to make sure all the needs of the kids and the rest of the family remain being met.

Morning or afternoon, ahead of naps or after meals, there needs to be time for fun. Everyone needs the release, and it could make things feel a little less structured, too.

SHIJINA RIJESH