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What is a routine?
Why is it important for a child to have routines in their life?
How old does my child have to be to start them on routines?
Why are good habits so important for children?
Is my child too young to understand routines?
If my child does not understand what time it is, how can she/he understand routines?
I have a unique schedule, routines are not important in my household, why should I get my child into a routine when I do not have one myself?
My child lives with me half the time and the other half with her other parent. How do I keep routines?
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| Q: What is a routine? |
| A: A routine is an activity or action that is consistently repeated. Routines help children process information and allow them to develop consistent, familiar responses to every-day activities and responsibilities. |
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| Q: Why is it important for a child to have routines in their life? |
| A: Children find security in routines. They depend on their parents and/or caregivers to provide them with this security. Routines create the structure that allows children to develop autonomy from parents and/or caregivers as they become adults. |
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| Q: How old does my child have to be to start them on routines? |
| A: It is recommended that routines start form the moment children are born. Establishing early routines for your child allows you to build and nurture your relationship with the child. Giving a few minutes of undivided attention to your child also makes it easier to establish long-term daily and bedtime routines, and it helps your child build confidence in his or her world. |
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| Q: Why are good habits so important for children? |
| A: A habit is a pattern of behavior that makes you who you are. Habits are small actions and can be considered either good or bad. Habits are the building blocks of routines that are recorded by our brain, allowing us to go through each day, week, month, year and our entire life. Each person is the sum of what he/she does on a daily basis. Good habits are a factor that affects one's social, mental and emotional aspects that provide the well being. |
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| Q: Is my child too young to understand routines? |
| A: A child is never too young to understand routines. Children are great imitators and will mirror what they observe. Make sure to clearly explain what is expected of your child, and remember to be consistent. Your child's level of understanding will be greatly improved by showing them images of what they are expected to do. |
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| Q: If my child does not understand what time it is, how can she/he understand routines? |
| A: Children understand images, and KC's Routines are based on images. It will be very easy for your child to relate the image of the clock with the image of the related activity (routine) and the time shown on a real clock. You will be surprised at how easily your child develops an understanding of time. |
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| Q: I have a unique schedule, routines are not important in my household, why should I get my child into a routine when I do not have one myself? |
| A: Usually a person isn't aware of the habits or routines that they have. The series of actions are so common to you that you stop thinking about them as a routine because they have become a part of your day-to-day behavior. You can adapt your child's habits to yours, but he or she will need their own sooner or later. Routines are especially important to achieving good scholastic performance in school. When routines are formed, learning strategies become easier to acquire. It is much better to start your child on routines early. Healthy routines are critical to avoiding long-term difficulties in a child's life and in their relationships with others. |
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| Q: My child lives with me half the time and the other half with her other parent. How do I keep routines? |
| A: For the sake of the child and his or her mental health, it is extremely important for both parents to keep the same routine. Parents should have an agreement to follow the same routine, as this routine will bring comfort and safety to your child. If he or she has different guidelines and rules with the separate parents, the child will become disoriented, leading to misbehavior, inattention and confusion. This disorientation will not only exist in the co-parents' homes but will appear in their school performance and social activities. Identical established routines in each home are critical for the well-being of your child. |