It often seems like kids don’t like rules or boundaries, but the opposite is true.
Children and teens need stability and routines to help create a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
What Are Routines?
Routines are a series of activities performed regularly.
When parents create routines for their kids, they develop long-lasting life skills and create healthy habits. It also brings relief, security, and consistency to the child’s life.
Why Do These Routines Matter?
Routines help us get through our days by helping us feel in control of our lives and giving us a sense of structure. However, routines can be hard to maintain, particularly when we feel overwhelmed or overworked. When it happens, it can be helpful to think about time management and routines in a new way to get back on track.
For example, instead of thinking of routines as fixed and rigid blocks of time that we must adhere to, we can think of them as guidelines or scripts. These guidelines guide us through the activities we need to do each day and how we can organize them to be manageable.
In general, routines work best when they’re flexible and changeable so we can adjust when we feel overwhelmed or stressed, and so we can add activities as we find things that are important to us and that fit our changing lives.
Below are some reasons routines should be part of your children’s and teens’ lives:
- Routines help your children stick to healthy internal schedules. Having a consistent routine will help your child with their “body clocks.” They will take their daily naps in the afternoon, sleep well, eat healthy meals, and have playtime.
- They create a calmer household. Because the child knows what to expect, it helps reduce stress and anxiety. The kids see how the day will be, and they can be more relaxed.
- Routines strengthen the family bond. Routines help the child know what to expect and observe normal family activities. It strengthens shared qualities, principles, and interests.
- For instance, the child will understand that eating breakfast together every Sunday morning is important. They will see that family time is particular even at a young age, and they will pick up on these rituals.
4. Your children become confident and independent. With a routine, your child will learn to do things by themselves. They will know when to go to the park or study for school. When they know what to expect it can help them become more confident.
- Instead of commanding them to do their chores, your child will feel sure to take charge of things themselves. When children feel unrestricted, and in control, they are less likely to rebel or retaliate.
5. It gives your children reasons to get excited about the next day. If your kids know the schedule for the day, they will look forward to upcoming events, such as going to the park on weekends or visiting grandparents every holiday.
6. It defines healthy and effective habits. Routines like brushing their teeth every day will aid in establishing healthy habits. As they grow, they take care of their responsibilities without complaining because it’s a normal part of their day.
7. It helps the parents remember important agendas. Having a routine helps to keep track of important things to do. It may be monthly check-ups with the kids or quarterly school excursions.
- Even with busy schedules, you can keep track of the fundamental schedules, enabling less stress at home.
Routines reduce the tendency of disputes when decisions need to be made. For instance, if you know your meal plan, no one needs to argue about what’s for dinner.
Creating routines for your kids will go a long way to help them be self-disciplined, reduce stress, and build healthy habits that will improve their lives.
O’Lord, help our children and teens to maintain their routines as they grow older, in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen and Amen.
