Children thrive in routine, but many parents overlook the importance of routines in their child’s life.
Schedules and routines help to teach children a lot of important life skills. Here are some of the reasons that kids need daily routines.
5 Reasons Kids Need Daily Routines
Feeling out of control makes most people feel unstable and unsure about their environment. This is especially so for kids.
The world is full of so many uncertainties and new and unknown things for kids. Having routines in their lives and homes can bring them a sense of control that brings them peace.
2) Routines Help Kids Know What To Expect From Their Day
A routine can help teach kids about the concept of time management and planning their day.
Accomplishing goals and managing time are things that every person has to deal with throughout their life. Introducing the concept of accomplishing these things through regular routines can help prepare children for these very important life skills.
When the art of time management is learned and practiced consistently in age-appropriate ways, it can set kids up for great success in their lives.
3) Routines Help Kids feel safe, secure, and comfortable
Consistency and routine bring a sense of safety, security, and comfort to a child’s life.
When a day’s activities are relatively consistent, it promotes and grows this sense of security and comfort in a child. When a child has an inherent sense of safety, security, and comfort, it helps them to grow and strengthen as they develop.
If a child lives in a world of chaos and uncertainty, it shows in their actions and attitudes and doesn’t promote healthy growth.
4) Routines Help Build Task Skills
When a child is given a specific amount of focused time to complete a task and knows it is going to be uninterrupted, it allows them to be able to focus and better hone their skills for the particular task.
Whether kids are learning a new skill or practicing something they’ve done before, knowing they have a specific amount of time to work on a particular task can help teach them how to focus as they manage their tasks and their time.
Consistent routine gives kids the opportunity to learn how to operate in different settings consistently, whether that is at home, on a mommy-and-me playdate, or in daycare.
Being involved in specific activities and places repeatedly teaches kids how to learn about and engage with their surroundings. Consistent circle time at daycare, story time at home or developmental playtimes teach kids how to focus while learning new tasks or doing educational activities.
Having consistent routines in a child’s life can provide them with an overall sense of security, comfort, and stability that will help them in their life now and in the future!