Routines are how families organise themselves to get things done, spend time together and have fun. Every family has its own unique routines. Routines help family members know who should do what, when, in what order and how often.
Why routines are good for children
- They can be a way of teaching younger children healthy habits like brushing their teeth, getting some exercise, or washing their hands after using the toilet.
- An organised and predictable home environment helps children and young people feel safe and secure.
- Routines built around fun or spending time together strengthen relationships between parents and children. Reading a story together before bed or going for a special snack after soccer practice can become a special time for you and your children to share.
- Daily routines help set our body clocks. For example, bedtime routines help children’s bodies ‘know’ when it’s time to sleep. This can be particularly helpful when children reach adolescence, and their body clocks start to change.
- If your child needs to take medicine regularly, a routine for this will help make both of you less likely to forget.
- Having an important job to do in the family routine helps older children and teenagers develop a sense of responsibility.
- Routines help develop basic work skills and time management.
- Routines can help promote a feeling of safety in stressful situations or during difficult stages of development, such as puberty.
- When children reach adolescence, the familiarity of regular home routines can help them feel looked after. Predictable family routines can be a welcome relief from the changes they’re experiencing.
Why routines are good for parents too
Routines take some effort to create. But once established, they have lots of benefits:
- They free up time for you to think about other things while you work.
- Regular and consistent routines can help you feel like you’re doing a good job as a parent.
- When things are hectic, routines can help you feel more organised, which lowers stress.
- A routine will help you complete your daily tasks efficiently.
- As children get better at following a routine by themselves, you can give fewer instructions and nag less.
- Routines free you from having to constantly resolve disputes and make decisions. If Sunday night is pizza night, no-one needs to argue about what’s for dinner.
Examples of routines for your children
| Age group | You could have a routine for: |
| Toddlers and preschoolers | Getting ready in the morningGoing to bed at nightRegular ‘playdates’Eating mealsRegular play and talk times with a parent each dayStory time (book reading)Quiet time each evening |
| School-age children | Hygiene and health – for example, brushing teeth and washing handsTidying up, looking after toysCaring for petsRegular ‘playdates’Pocket money, given at a regular time and dayHelping with the laundryAfter-school activitiesChores – for example, setting the dinner table, packing away, unpacking the dishwasherHobbies or sport |
If you would like some help with some of these strategies, the help of a counsellor who specialises in parenting could be something to consider.
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