I’m a fly by the seat of my pants type person. I like to wake up, ease into my day, see how I feel and create a plan based on that. Since having kids, my life certainly is more predictable and less frivolous. Whatever rhythm we have had has been totally undermined by going home for the Holidays. We’ve been having a blast celebrating, taking in the sites of the season, visiting with family and old friend. But, a busy schedule coupled with a three hour time change has meant life has been anything but predictable. So I’m gathering resources, writing down a few notes, and even did a bit of research on the benefits of a well-established routine for kids. Here is what I’ve found on toddler routine benefits and examples.
Routine for Kids: Why Have One and What are the Benefits?
Every day in a young child’s life is laden with learning. So much is brand new. So much time is spent on working on the mastery of new concepts, language, or skills. What a routine does is it makes as much so much of regular life predictable and concrete. As a result, their energy and attention can be saved for learning. My mom, a former early childhood educator and elementary school principal recently said to me, the teachers that had the most expected schedules set up in their classroom is where the greatest imagination and learning happened. Why? Because young students didn’t have to give any thought to what was coming next, they could focus on what was at hand. [bctt tweet=”It is in having a set routine that the magic of learning through play can really happen.”]
Additional Benefits
Requests to clean up seem less arbitrary: If kids at home always play after breakfast until, say the timer goes, and then it’s always clean up, your request to clean seems less like a request and more necessary.
Transitions are made easier: For instance, when outdoor play is typically followed by lunch-time kids know what to expect and can handle leaving the playground better.
Safety and control are made easier: While putting your children’s seatbelts on or making them wear a helmet may seem essential, it is also part of their routine to go in a car or ride a bike. Always brushing your teeth after putting on PJs makes it seem assumed and necessary. When we cross the street, we always sing a song to cue handholding again to avoid it seeming optional.
A well-established routine makes things easier on Mom and Dad: If you have a general framework to work from, your day will seem more seamless and require less thought and planning in the moment.
When life gets unpredictable, maintaining a routine can make coping easier: Moving, a friend changing schools, or a death in the family all make life seem hard and even scary. Business as usual for everything else becomes especially pertinent in times like these. See more on what a clinical psychologist says on the necessity of routines here.
Set Up Your Own Visual Routine
Get yours here.
Print out your the printable here. Cut it out and glue magnets to the back to affix these to your fridge! See samples of great schedules and routines for toddlers and young children here.
Are there any benefits you’ve noticed in having a routine or any tips to having one? Please share below!
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Routines are so helpful with the kiddos!! And they help me out too. It’s much easier to get through a slow day when I know what’s coming next. It’s been tough getting back into this week, but we’re almost there!!
I’m AWFUL with routine. I know I need to get better at it, but for ME it’s sooo hard. Great Post 🙂
Great post! I know that routine is important but it is SO hard for me to implement since I am a go-with-the-flow type person in a lot of ways. I love the printable…I think it will be just as helpful for me as it will be for my little one!
I love schedules and I am very much into a routine! I dont stay home with my kids, but they have pretty regimented days where they go to school/daycare so I know it is something they enjoy.
I’m a big believer in having a routine. From teaching I know that kids thrive when they can take ownership of their day because they know what to expect. We try to keep the same basic routine at home as well. My daughter isn’t really on a routine yet, so she just follows along with her older brother. I really like the idea of having a schedule out somewhere in the house. That’ll help my son really know what to expect! I may draw some pictures with words on them since he can’t read yet. Thanks for the wonderful idea! Pinned.
We had some pretty set routines when my kids were little. It’s amazing how much simpler it made life when I didn’t have to answer the question of: “What’s next?!” I’ve never thought about how freeing that would be for their little minds though. I guess I was just selfishly saving myself from answering their questions. Thanks for sharing!
You’re so organized! I LOVE the visual! Although I don’t have it all visually written out, I have been following more of a schedule these days now that I’m watching my nephew 4 days a week. It’s definitely working and I’m even getting the two of them to nap at the same time!
I love having a routine and so do kids! I run a daycare out of my home and by following the same routine everyday it make it go more smoothly 🙂
Ahhhhh now that my daughter is in school I totally suck at routine when it come to her. Before she was in l… Easy peasy…. Our whole day went so smooth. Now I never know what kind of mood she’s going to be in after school and ughh…. Makes routine difficult. Hoping this is just a phase since I live for schedules and routine lol
We have a pretty well established routine most days, but some days I still fly by the seat of my pants! Thanks for posting this! Those printable a look perfect for staying on schedule!
The holidays certainly messed with our routine and I’m so thankful to be into it again! I like the idea of a bit more structure during the day though and using the timer! One of my little guys has been giving me a hard time about cleaning up lately. He actually told his teacher, “My mommy says I don’t need to clean up.” Haha. Love the idea of putting the schedule on magnets!
My kids (and me!) definitely do better with a routine. While they sometimes fight nap time now, or bedtime, they still know it’s coming and it’s going to happen. I can see how it would be comforting too. Thank you for the printables. Great idea to put them on magnets!
I swear by a routine. My husband? Not so much but with enough pushing on my end, he usually gives in and later, admits how easy things went because our son responded well with having things done to routine.
I am ALL about routines in my life. Not just for my son but for me as well. It helps everything go more smoothly. I probably tip the scales of OCD though so maybe mine is not the best example! ha! Great reasons you’ve listed here!
yes, yes, YES! I agree with this post SO strongly. I believe routine to be so vital for kids…and honestly..for adults too. Love your points!
this is really awesome. i so could have used this before i sent abc to half day day care!
We swear by routines in the Ruud house. Weekends are out of control and I am so thankful on Mondays that I get to stay home to help the boys get back on the schedule that they are used to.