Routines Help Your Child

Routines are so important to help your child be successful in a school setting. Schools thrive on routines and procedures. There is a routine or procedure for just about everything! How to unpack your backpack. How to line up. How to turn in your paper. You name it and we have a routine for it. Establishing your own routines/procedures at home can help your child get ready for what’s to come in the classroom (and help your home run smoother as well!) Set up a routine for bedtime, meal times, leaving the house, etc. And don’t forget to practice! When teaching procedures at school we always practice the first few weeks of the school year so don’t hesitate to do some role playing at home and practice your new routines or procedures at home.

Ideas for home routines/procedures:

• Bedtime (1. Bath, 2. Pajamas, 3. Brush teeth, 4. Story, 5. Lights out! If you do this every single night it helps your child know what to expect and will make bedtime easier)

• Unpacking backpack (Take out your lunch box and water bottle and bring it to the kitchen, take out your sweater and put it in the laundry room, bring your school work folder to the kitchen table, etc.)

• Cleaning up (Give your child a 5 minute warning before cleanup and set a timer, then play a special “cleanup song” and keep it the same every time. This will help your child know how long they have to cleanup.)