Fancy That!

Looking to each day I see that the best thing I can do as a Mom is to have a routine and stick with it. A video I watched during a parenting class said that the best-made families have routines for morning and bedtimes. Children can thrive and live in a routine because they know what is expected of them and the rhythm of the home. They may not be able to tell time, but their bodies have an inner clock that wakes them up in the morning. Daily, I remind my little guy that he must be dressed head to toe, and then he can have breakfast. If he cannot dress himself, it takes away from my time to give him breakfast before school because I am too distracted with getting all of us ready to go out the door. I have forgotten to grab him a granola bar. Don't worry, he just ate more for morning snack that day. Routines allow kids to know there are priveleges they can earn with following rules and helping around the house.

Bedtime routines help children to take responsibility getting themselves ready for bed. Usually stacking things they might not like doing with an activity they really enjoy following it, will give them the incentive to complete things better. If they hate brushing their teeth, they will most likely do it if they know it must be accomplished first before you read them a story and have special one-on-one time that they crave soooo very much. The way this can be reinforced is to tell them you will NOT read them a story if they don't brush their teeth, and then follow through on that promise. Over time, this will be the easiest routine ever invented because the child will know what to expect, and what they have to do to get your undivided attention and affections.