Why Routines are Important for the Whole Family

4 April 08

It makes sense that family life could be chaotic without some routine, but research has shown that there is more to it than that. Routines let your children know what is important to your family and rituals play an important role in strengthening shared beliefs and values, and building a sense of belonging and cohesion in families. Every family has its own unique routines, and these help family members know who should do what, when, in what order and how often.

Routines are not only great for kids, they also benefit you as a parent. Routines help you feel more organised and in control which can lessen the stress, and they help you complete routine daily tasks more efficiently. Routines do take effort to maintain, but once established they will let you do things on ‘auto pilot’ so you can think about other things while you work.

Take some pressure out of school mornings

How things go at home in the morning can set the tone for the day ahead. Kids who arrive at school feeling calm, relaxed, fed and ready can make the most of the first few hours of the day (also the best learning time). Children don’t understand time in the same way as adults do, and this can make school mornings a stressful time of day for families. Here are some ideas to take some of the pressure out of school mornings – even if things don't always go smoothly!

The night before

· Prepare lunches and set the breakfast table ready for the morning rush

· Getting your child to take a bath the night before means you won't have to worry about this in the morning

· Try to read school newsletters, prepare clothes, sign school notes and get schoolbags ready

In the morning

· Getting up an extra 15-30 minutes earlier might help things run more smoothly. Also try to allow plenty of time to get from home to school. Rushing can really increase stress levels

· Good moods can be infectious. Tackle the morning as positively and as optimistically as you can

· Mornings are easier if your child can do things for himself. Encourage your child’s independence with dressing, making breakfast, and tidying up after himself

· Try using an alarm clock

· Try to cut down on distractions like TV

· Use surprises to celebrate cooperation and being ready on time. A treat in the lunch box, or an extra story at bedtime might be all it takes

· Try not to give your children extra attention for arguing, whining or stalling. Even negative attention is an incentive for them to keep arguing, whining and stalling

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