Having a daily routine and general predictability can be great for kids and for parents. It provides boundaries ("we are not eating until snack time at 3:00"), certain peace ("It is quiet rest time in your room. I will see you at 2:45 when your alarm goes off"), and guaranteed time for togetherness. This schedule has worked very well for us for the past 2 years. Sometimes we stray when we're sick, traveling, or have a big family day planned; however, it always comes back to this. Everyone is happier. Here's a little deeper look at how we fill that time and what the expectations are. BreakfastWhen we consistently feed our bodies at a certain time in the morning, our bodies generally adjust so we wake up near that time. If you have an early riser, and you always give them breakfast at 5 when they wake up, their bodies will continue to wake up for breakfast at that time. Schedule breakfast for a time that is convenient for everyone so think about work/daycare/commitments and shoot for some general consistency (+ or - half an hour). Morning Activity & Afternoon CraftThe night before, I will plan and lay out an activity. Sometimes I do it too; other times no. Some ideas for activities are:
Play or OutingPlay time means INDEPENDENT PLAY TIME. Sometimes we'll have a friend over for playtime. Sometimes I'll set up a play scene to get things rolling, but this is a time to be a part from one another. It is a time that I do things around the house or get some work done while she can explore her toys, play with art supplies, read books, listen to audible stories, or be with her own boredom. I try to make this a YES time (so long as it doesn't require me). Check out the post on sparking independent play if you're looking for help with this time. An outing means we will go adventure somewhere cool like an indoor playground or the beach (check out the Twin Cities tab for more ideas), or we're going to a class or program like swim or music lessons, or it might mean we're running errands. If I am going to sign P up for lessons or classes, I really aim for it to fit into this window or the evening play window if possible. Outdoor TimeIt is so important to get kids outside every day, regardless of weather. If you have it built into your schedule, it will help you better meet that goal.
SnackWhen you have snack at one set time of the day, you can get away from the habit of mini snacks throughout the day. When your child says "I'm hungry!" you can respond with when the next meal is with confidence because no child will starve between lunch and snack time. Snacks are usually things like:
Reading & RestThis is a time of intimate togetherness. Plan to give your entire attention to your one child in this moment. Turn off your phone (or better yet, leave it outside the room), hold your child, rub their back, and connect with one another. Instead of just reading books (which is great so keep doing that too!), you can spice it up by retelling a story from your childhood (kids love that! P: "tell me a story about a time you made a mistake"), a fable, a made up story, or do story stone stories together in which you pull stones with images (or just images or items) out of a basket, line them up in the order pulled out, and create a story together using those images as the key details. Please comment or share any other schedules that have worked in your home, schedule challenges that arise, or any questions or thoughts!
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Emily BarstadMaster's in Family Education Archives
March 2020
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