This article consists of two parts; the first part suggests a few tips make routines workable and the second part suggests a workable kids’ daily routine for preschool ages.
Routines are hard to create and even harder to maintain yet they make parenting easy later on. Kids learn to do the right things at their particular times if routines are in place.
When it comes to setting your kids’ daily routine, preschooler and toddler age is the perfect time to introduce a healthy, activity-filled, practical daily routine. No doubt that routines are important right from the beginning of a baby’s life, but at the ages of 2 to 4 years, kids’ daily routines can be incorporated with many new productive activities.
Tips to Create a Workable Kids’ Daily Routine:
At times, we are able to lay down a good routine for our kids, but later it gets difficult to follow. So firstly, let’s learn a few tips to make routines workable. These few tips are easier to follow and can bring great change if you are trying to set up a workable kids’ routine. These amazing tips are not only helpful for toddlers but also for any other age group.
Kids’ Daily Routine, Need your Kids’ Input:
Kids like to be involved with their elders in every matter. Although toddlers might not exactly understand what you are trying to say and do at first. But they’ll learn to expect what might be coming their way when you involve them in the routine-making process. Kids’ input doesn’t necessarily mean their thoughts about something. Rather it also means that you take their habits, likes, and dislikes into consideration when it comes to finalizing routines.
Being Realistic is The Key:
Sometimes kids’ daily routine becomes difficult to follow. This happens because the routine was not as realistic as it should have been. At times, the problem is that we expect kids to do a certain task in a time slot that is ideal for us, but not for toddlers. What you can do about it is to set a relaxing time slot for each task. Secondly, kids can not work like robots, so give them the leverage of being humans.
Keep a Back-up Plan:
You might have planned an ‘outdoor activity’ for your kids’ daily routine, but the weather changed & it started to rain. Now what? Keep some simple activities as your backup plan in case an activity fails to happen as it was planned. This will keep you relaxed and focused on how to go about the day even when things don’t work as per the plan. Be prepared to adapt to unexpected circumstances and situations, the point is “be kind to yourself and your kid”.
Write Down your Kids’ Daily Routine:
Many of us might undermine this point, but it is a crucial one! When you put something into writing, you already have taken action about your planned day. Written routines clarify to both parents and kids what they will do at what time. And also it works as a reminder for everyone.
Be the Support your Kid Needs:
Remember that formulating routines does not assure a routine life. Your kids need your input, your support, and your help to follow the routine.
Sometimes this support can be in form of a gentle reminder. Other times you need to point out the written routine. And many times, when the results are not as per your expectation, you MUST support your child by praising their efforts.
