Do Your Children Need A Schedule?

You have probably seen images of families on television where the children have their own schedules, full of activities from piano lessons to karate, and where even “play dates” are scheduled weeks in advance.

While most families do not have that type of lifestyle, it is still a good idea to keep your children on a schedule.  This is especially true for younger children, as toddlers need routines in order to feel secure in their environment.

If you have a toddler, you may want to start with something simple, such as a night time routine to get your child used to following a schedule.  An example would be bathing your child after dinner, putting on pajamas, reading a story, and going to bed.

Once they get the hang of that routine, you can start a morning routine, which could include getting dressed, eating breakfast, and playing with toys and going out to run the day’s errands.  When your child understands that routine, you can move on to an afternoon routine and then a dinner routine.

Your child doesn’t need to be a toddler in order to appreciate a routine.  Children of all ages can benefit from having some sort of schedule.  If you have elementary school age children, you can start establishing a routine of getting home from school, having them eat a snack as you go over any papers that they brought home that day, helping them with their homework, and then having playtime while you make dinner.

If you have kids in middle school or high school, they may need their own planners to help them organize their homework, after school activities, and social life.  This is a great time to start teaching them about scheduling, setting goals and defining priorities.  These lessons will help them immensely when they get to college.

Children and Schedules: A Life’s Lesson

While most families don’t have the type of lifestyle that is portrayed on television where the children have their own schedules including everything from play dates to piano lessons, it’s still a good idea to keep your children on a schedule.

For toddler, start simple with a night time routine to get your little one used to following a schedule and going to bed at the same time every night.  You may want to begin your routine with a soothing bath after dinner, then into their pajamas, a calm relaxing story and then off to bed.

Once that schedule is somewhat easy for him/her to follow, start a morning routine.  Wake them in the morning and follow their routine for getting started with their day, including getting dressed, having breakfast, playing with toys for a bit then running the day’s errands with you.  Once the morning routine is in place and running smoothly, add an afternoon routine and then gradually a dinner routine.

Routines aren’t just for toddlers though, children of all ages can benefit from having some type of schedule.  Elementary school aged children for example can have an after-school schedule in place so they’ll know what to expect after their school day is over.  It could include a small snack, which will give you a few minutes to review any paperwork in their backpack, homework and then having a little bit of play/relaxation time while dinner is being prepared.

Middle school and even high school kids can benefit as well.  Usually at this age, pre-teens and teens have a lot going on besides school.  Having a schedule of homework, after school activities or sports and of course their social life can get a little hectic for a teen so you may want to supply them with their own planners to help them get and stay organized with it all.  Teaching them to stay organized is a great life lesson that will benefit them tremendously once they are off to college or the working world.  Not only will you be teaching them about scheduling but you will also be teaching them about setting goals and priorities, all of which will benefit them in the long run.