Daily Routine Samples
A huge part of setting up routines is knowing what the heck kids could be doing on their own! Often we don’t even realize we’re doing things that the kids are perfectly capable of doing. Many parents find a sample routine helpful. We’ve provided you with three samples based on real families.
Morning Routine
The mornings can be nightmares for many parents. Kids running late, breakfast on the run, backpacks left behind, missing clothes, power struggles and yelling. It’s not what we want, but it’s often what we get.
As parents, we understand that the morning routine sets the tone for the rest of the day, so it is important to start on the right foot.
Afternoon Routine
So the kids get off the bus or you pick them up from day care. Maybe you are in the kitchen waiting to greet them with warm Tollhouse cookies and maybe you are strapping them into car seats and seat belts for another long car ride. In any case, the afternoon can be stressful for everyone in the family.
Taking the time to create an easy, uncomplicated afternoon routine that helps everyone transition from an individual focus to a family focus is crucial.
Bedtime Routine
Most parents I have worked with over the years spend anywhere from 20 to 2 hours with their kids saying goodnight and the majority of the parents tell me they hate it. They also tell me they feel guilty for feeling this way.
They tell me how they imagined bedtime would be when their children were infants, but how frustrated they are that that image never materialized. You know the scenario – a last cuddle, prayers, maybe a book, a kiss, I love you, and out the door the parent goes.
But that isn’t the reality. The reality is that most parents and kids have created a routine that actually divides them rather than bringing them closer.
We all want our last moment with a child to be a special and deep connection. So how do you get that?
School Routine
Along with buying new pencils and notebooks, “back to school” also means a return to routines, alarm clocks, and the responsibilities that many of our children left behind with the last bell in June.
There are all kinds of systems families can use, and the Parenting On Track™ program is about progress, change, and the long-term goal of encouraging independence and self-reliance in our children.
