How to start and maintain your daily family routine
By Mercedes Oromendia, our Chief Clinical Officer
Routines. We all want them, yet we all struggle to get a good one going. There's a lot that goes into a daily routine for a family - getting ready in the mornings, bath times, mealtimes, bedtimes, etc. So, it's completely normal if it all feels so overwhelming.
However, it's so important for your family to have a routine to establish some sense of normalcy for your kids. Routines give kids a sense of security and help them establish self-discipline. Like adults, children fear the unknown whether that's a new vegetable on their plate or a major life change. It could get a little stressful for them when they NEVER know what to expect or what's coming next.
By implementing a routine:
stress and anxiety are reduced
kids feel in control of their environment
parents can build in moments of connection
3 tips to have a smoother morning routine ⛅
1. Prepare the night before 🌙 Prep what you can the night before. This could mean packing lunches, laying out clothes, or deciding what will be for breakfast. You could even have your kids help you and have them choose their outfit for the next day or which treat they’d like for lunch.
2. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier ⏰ I know, I know. The idea of losing 15 minutes of sleep does not sound great. But, those extra minutes could give you time to review your day and make any necessary adjustments or allow you to have quiet time for some morning self-care. If you take care of yourself first, odds are you’ll be in a better mood to tackle the morning.
3. Create an area for backpacks, coats, and shoes 🎒 Reclaim a few minutes of your morning by creating a designated area for all necessary items. You won’t have to spend time looking for lost backpacks, socks, or water bottles when you're already in a rush. Make sure the place to hang them is low enough so that smaller kids can grab their own items.
3 ways to end bedtime battles 🌙
✅ Start your bedtime routine a little earlier If you want your child’s bedtime to be 7:30 pm, start on the routine itself at 6:45 pm. That way you have ample time for the entire routine, you can tuck them in at 7:15 pm, and they can be fast asleep by 7:30.
If you want your kid to go sleep at 8 pm, but they naturally fall asleep at 9, meet them where they are at for now. Temporarily set their bedtime to 9 pm. After a few days of that working, move the bedtime up slightly to 8:45 pm and so on, until your kid is sleeping at 8 pm.
✅ Set rules and boundaries clearly. Lay out the bedtime routine expectations. Make sure your kid knows that after their bath, they put on their pajamas, and then you guys read two stories, give goodnight hugs, and then it’s time to sleep.
✅ Be consistent. You must consistently enforce whatever rules you create, so your kids know exactly what is expected. If you allow your kids to break the rules, they will know now that if they push and push they may get their way.