Routines may seem boring to adults, but children thrive on them.  Daily routines help children feel safe, promise them comfort, and make them feel in control.

Routines provide a framework for a child's day.  Children like knowing what's coming and what's happening, when things will happen, as well as the order of events.

Children like sameness and repetition.  Routines provide them with consistency and security.  Routines also help them move from one activity to the next.

They develop out of your own family's daily habits.  Encourage your children to become as independent as possible in carrying out certain basic routines.  These routines include dressing, undressing, napping, using the toilet and cleaning up.  Slowly, they will be able to do these things without your assistance. 

Some routines you want to be sure are in place include:

• Morning routine
• Leave for work or school routine
• Going to daycare or school routine
• Getting home routines
• Mealtime routines
• Clean up routines
• Naptime routines
• Leaving routings from the sitter, grandma's, etc.
• Bathroom routines
• Homework routine
• After dinner routine
• Bedtime routine

Routines can make your family life run more easily and save you planning time.  Once you've set up routines, try to stick to them, even when you have visitors or are on vacation.