ROUTINES THE POWER OF DAILY HABITS Having routines in place can create great habits for us and our children. Routines are incredibly important for children as they grow up and they can be a real lifesaver in your home not only for your children, but also for the parent
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remember when my first child started school many moons ago, rushing out of the house every morning became a regular occurrence that it got to a point where we had to rethink strategies. One of these strategies was for us to make a list of all our daily activities to help us create some form of order. In other words, having a routine. Routines form part of our daily lives. They are part of the school day and also a part of our work day as adults, so it only makes sense that we make them a part of our home life also. Many of us already have our daily routines without really setting them in place. We tend to do the same things in the morning, after school or work and before we go to bed. Having these routines in place makes our lives a lot easier. We do not even need to think about what we do, we just do it, and this is exactly what we want our children to get into the habit of doing. The younger they are, the quicker they will learn and adapt to routines. Routines should not make us inflexible and robotic, we can still be spontaneous at times but when routines are there, life becomes easier, more organised, less rushed and more relaxed. 24 | Sunrise Autumn 2019
Be sure to set or review routines for the new academic year and ensure that everyone understands what is expected so that everything goes smoothly once school reopens. By setting routines right at the beginning of the school year, you and your child are really aiming to start the school year right. The Benefits of Routine and How it Makes Life Easier ꞏ When routines are in place, our authority as parents is more respected by the children. By maintaining these routines, it is easier for us to teach our children good habits. They will therefore come to an understanding that there is a routine in place that we must all follow. • Sometimes our children have that momentary feeling that everything revolves around them. Routines teach our children that life does not revolve around them alone and how they feel at that moment. ꞏ Children are happier when they know what to expect. A more organised and predictable home environment helps children to feel safer and more secure, particularly in stressful times. I know that many of us must repeat the same thing again and again, day in, day out to our children. In the mornings we ask them to get up, get into the bathroom, get dressed, have breakfast… and so it goes on. If these things are written down
