The Value of Routines
Every family is challenged with establishing comfortable, effective routines. Routines are meant to help combat disorder and confusion. However, there is a fine line between having a great routine and falling into boredom and rigidity with too much structure. To keep you and your kids happy, you need a fine balance of structure and flexibility.
As adults, we like to experience something other than all that is predictable in life. With children, it isn’t always the best for them. They thrive on repetition and routine. At Star Montessori, you will notice the schedules each teacher has for each day for their students. It helps the students feel at ease, work with teachers, and focus on the curriculum.
Dr. Peter Gorski, the assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School says knowing what to expect helps children to develop confidence.
Some reasons include, giving children a sense of security, develop self-discipline, and reducing stress for families. Routines make everyday tasks like brushing teeth, taking a nap, eating a snack become easy for kids to remember and what is just to be done at specific times of the day. Once it becomes normal, parents become less of the evil ones trying to boss and nag to get those activities done.
Routines help children take charge of their own life; they can complete tasks on their own and gain independence and competency. Children enjoy being “big kids” and it also avoids the opportunity to “rebel”.
There are many ways to structure your routine in your home. HealthChildren.org shares some ways you can do so suggested by the American Academy of Pediatricians. Some tips include prepping the night before to allow for a more positive morning. In the morning, try not to skip out on breakfast. We can talk about the importance of breakfast in another blog post. That’s why at Star we like to offer breakfast for our students and parents.
There are countless other things you can do to maintain structure and routine in your home that will not only help your child thrive, but also make your job as parents easier. Just as much as consistency is important, allow room for flexibility. Things will come up and modeling good behavior during unexpected events will show them that it is okay.
What kinds of routines work for you and your family? We would love to hear about them!
