How to create a routine on those non-routine days
Brought to you by Little Bellies
For whatever reason, your regular family routine may have gone out the window. To give your kids a sense of normalcy, it’s a good idea to create a new routine early, so they know what to expect every day.
Here’s some helpful advice for how to make a new daily routine for your kids.
Why kids love routine
Having a routine in place has many benefits. According to the Raising Children Network, not only does it give kids a sense of safety and belonging, it teaches them responsibility and helps to keep everyone’s body clocks in time. (The last thing we want is a tired toddler demanding their lightsaber at 3am!)
What makes a good daily routine?
The great thing about routines is there are no rules! All kids are different: some can cope with changes to their routine and others, not so much. At the end of the day, you know what’s best for your child – and what works for one family might not work for another.
But as long as your routine is based on what your family needs, you can’t go wrong. You could include things like exercise, quiet time, free play, reading, school work, screen time, creative play and chores.
Stay social
Connection with friends and extended family is important. Changes in routines might mean your kids get to spend less time with friends and other family members. Setting up supervised virtual play dates and video calls with loved ones can help kids stay in touch with those they care about. Writing letters and drawing pictures to send digitally can help foster those social connections too.
Juggling work and kids
Entertaining your kids and getting your work done is no easy feat – but it’s not impossible. This article gives a pretty good example of how to plan work around your child’s day (spoiler: the key is being flexible).
Keep your expectations low
Last but not least, keeping your expectations low means less pressure. When creating a new routine, focus on what works for you and your family, take breaks when you need them, and if your kids are happy playing, don’t interrupt them just because it’s time to move onto the next task. After all, independent play is a wonderful skill for young children to develop.
On a developmental level, the bigger the emotions a toddler feels, the harder it becomes for them to communicate with you, so don’t expect everything to run smoothly every day.
Creating a routine for your family is a work in progress, and might require a trial and error period – but you’ve got this!
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