Having young children at home can often feel chaotic. Juggling work responsibilities, social obligations, and day to day life is enough without a small child to consider. Once you have children, it can feel like you are treading water and just getting through the day! Some days it can be a struggle to make that sure key thing (like teeth brushing) don’t get skipped. But, there is one thing that can really help: preschool routines.
What are preschool routines?
Now, before we go on, I just want to make something clear: routines are different than schedules. A routine is a set of activities that you perform, often in the same order. A schedule is a bit more rigid, with certain things happens at specific times. For example, a morning routine would include eating breakfast, getting dressed, and brushing teeth. A schedule would include times and time allotments for each of those activities. For this post, I’m going to focus on routines.
Why Preschool routines are important?
Routines are important for so many reasons. Firstly, routines give children a sense of security. Children generally fear the unknown, so having a routine helps bring comfort. Children have control of so little in their lives and giving them routine can really help to give them structure and a sense of control. Even if they don’t like going to bed, they at least know what to expect!
Secondly, routine helps with regulating children’s body clocks. When children eat, sleep, wake, and use the bathroom at similar times each day, their bodies become adjusted to this schedule. This makes things more predictable for both you and your child and can help you plan accordingly.
Once you get on a good routine, it’s easy to plan your schedule around important things like making sure your child gets enough hours of sleep.
Thirdly, preschool routines help to build your child’s confidence and independence. When your child knows the routine, it’s easier for them to begin doing tasks for themselves. If they’ve put their PJ’s on with you the same way every single night, it’s easier to help them make the jump to doing it independently.
If you have a routine for getting ready for dinner each night, your child is more likely to start helping you, and eventually doing things independently, since they know exactly what to do.
Lastly, preschool routines can be great bonding experiences. Even day-to-day tasks like brushing teeth can turn into fun, memorable experiences when you do them a certain way (singing a special song, or pretending your child is an alligator as you brush their teeth).
One example I heard recently that I really loved was hearing a family’s routine for dinner conversation. Every night, they share “roses and thorns” from their day. The rose is something that they loved, and the thorn is something that was a struggle. These sorts of routines create lifelong memories for you and your kids!
How to set preschool routines
So now that you know the why behind routines, let’s get to the how. Maybe you’re starting from scratch, or maybe you have a routine that’s not exactly working. Either way, keep these tips in mind as you think about creating and implementing a routine at home.
Start with the Essentials
Think about your child’s current schedule and what is essential. For example, if your child needs to get up at 7:00 to get ready for school or daycare, and needs 10 hours of sleep, then you’ll need them to be asleep by 9:00. So, think through all that needs to happen before bed and decide when to begin your routine.
I recommend at least an hour of routine bed activities- bath, brushing teeth, reading together, etc. Also important to consider is eating. If your kids are at all like mine, you know they’ll need to eat OFTEN. So, build those times into your routine. These essential activities will help build a framework for your day.
Transitions
Transitions can be really difficult for young children, so think about building in some transition time into your schedule. For example, if you need to leave the house by 8:00 AM each day, you’ll want to consider how much transition time your child will need when planning what time to wake them up.
You know your child best- some children wake up happy and ready to go, while others need to move a bit slower. It’s best if you can work with your child where they are, and accommodate their needs. In the long run, it’s better to wake up a bit early and have a smoother morning, rather than sleeping in and dealing with a grumpy child.
Use visuals
Most children really love visuals, and creating a routine together with pictures can be a fun way to get your child involved! You can create a visual routine for almost anything- the whole day, or parts of tasks. For example, you could create a visual schedule chart for your day from start to finish, and hang it on the fridge.
In your child’s room, you could create a visual chart for their getting ready preschool routine. It’s easy to create these on your own using simple graphics, or you can find free, downloadable cards online. Or, if you are a little bit artistic, you could draw your own, or have your child draw them.
Simple pictures are best! For example, a bedtime routine could look like: a picture of a bathtub, a picture of PJ’s, a picture of a toilet, a picture of books, and a picture of a night light.
Include everything, even a drink of water, the special stuffed animal that they sleep with, and the number of books read and kisses given. This way your child knows exactly what to expect and won’t drive you crazy by asking for “one more book,” or proclaiming that they need to pee!
Set aside time for special bonding
As I mentioned above, routines can be great for bonding. Make sure that you build in special times to be together with your child doing favorite things!
For example, I know one family that has time every week for the dad to take the two boys out. It’s called “Boy’s Day” and it happens every Saturday from 9-12. This is a great bonding experience for the dad and the kids, and is also a great relaxation time for the mom!
Consider a weekly family movie night, or a once a month bowling date, or a Sunday morning walk. There are a million big and small ways that you can bond with your kids, but setting aside time to really do them can be a challenge. Put some things on the calendar and work together to make sure they happen!
Be Flexible
While there is something to be said for routines and schedules, I am a huge proponent of finding what works for YOUR family and YOUR child. You will have to make adjustments as you go, so be flexible and don’t be afraid to change things up if something isn’t working.
I hope that you find these tips helpful as you get a routine established! All children are different, and you’ll likely have some trial and error as you go.
As always, if you have concerns about your child’s development and would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your concerns, please reach out! I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
What is your routine at home? Have you tried any of these tips? If so, please join us in our FREE Facebook community and share!
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