Routine
Getting back into the swing of things is never easy, but is essential for a healthy, well-balanced approach to having a great school year. It’s been a month or so since the kiddos stepped foot into school and you may be wondering what the most important routines are for helping get your children back into the school groove.
Before And After School Care
Depending on your situation, you may be concerned with where to put your child before and/or after school. In addition to providing a morning and afternoon routine, before and after school programs offer school-age children various opportunities and experiences. Many programs focus on providing a comfortable, yet stimulating environment that offers life skills, recreational activities, physical activity, homework support, team-building activities, and also breakfast and various nutritional snacks.
If getting your child from point A to point B is an issue, there are many reputable services that offer transportation for kids. Care.com [1] is an excellent resource that provides a list of child care providers in your area, along with their qualifications, such as CPR/First Aid certified, experience with different children (ages and various issues), if they are comfortable with pets, nonsmoker, their willingness to travel, clean, meal prep, etc.
Daily Routines
Your child should know what to expect most days. From when and where to do their homework to a regular time to eat at least one family meal together, what chores they have and when they need to be done, when they can play on electronics and for how long, as well as the bedtime routine.
“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” ~ Mike Murdock (American Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter, televangelist and pastor)
We are all creatures of habit and for children to develop positive habits early on, routine must be built into their daily schedule. This will allow them to be more time efficient and effective at what they do, which will also take the burden off of you as having to assume the role as the nagging parent.
Children who engage in regular routine-based healthy activities:
- Have lower levels of stress and anxiety compared to their peers.
- Have an increase in self-esteem.
- Eat more nutritious meals.
- Get regular physical activity.
- Have a greater sense of responsibility.
- Are more self-aware and reflective.
- Develop more resiliency and perseverance toward achieving a task.
- Develop healthy lifelong habits.
In my best-selling book The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, you will find a comprehensive set of specific tools that you can use to help your children become self-starters and develop the essential skills necessary to become happy and fulfilled adults.
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Douglas Haddad, is an award-winning educator and best-selling author. You can go online or to a local bookstore and order his best-selling-book The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens: Strategies for Unlocking Your Child’s Full Potential [4], you will find specific strategies to help guide your child with time management, setting goals, and motivation to achieve greatness in their life. www.douglashaddad.com [5]
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- Starting Your Day off Right: Making the Most of Morning Routines [7]
- Positive Behavior Support Special Issue, Meme Hieneman [8]
- Talk with Me: Enhancing Communication through Natural Family Routines [9]
- Cultivating Support for Your Child’s Challenging Behaviors [10]
- When Things Get Out of Control: Managing Escalating Behavior [11]
- IS IT WORKING? Monitoring the Effectiveness of Treatments [12]
- Homework Concern: What To Do When Students DON’T Do It [13]
- Why Chores Are Good for Your Kids and How to Get Them to Do Them to Do It [14]
- Expanding Food Options for the PICKY EATER [15]
This post originally appeared on our September/October 2015 Magazine [16]