As adults, many of us realize how beneficial it is to have a regular daily routine. It helps us balance work, family life, a healthy lifestyle, and have some time for the other things we enjoy. While we know that routines can help us handle the hectic schedules of daily life, you may not have realized that a daily routine can also be beneficial for your little ones.
A daily routine can help your child know what to expect from day-to-day and provide comfort when big changes occur in their life. At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we know that daily routines can be beneficial for your child for a variety of reasons. If you want to help your toddler have an easier time with day-to-day activities, developing a regular daily routine can help! The earlier you start developing a routine for your child, the better. Learn the benefits and start implementing a routine today!
Gets Them On a Schedule
When you wake up at a specific time, take naps at a specific time, and go to bed at a specific time, our bodies get on a schedule that helps make sticking to this routine easier. When you create a routine and stick to it, you can help boost your child’s ability to take naps and sleep better at night, ensure they eat fuller meals, get to enjoy time outside, and know when they should be calm and relaxed during the day. By getting your child on a schedule like this, it will be easier for you to take care of them. Their body will know that bedtime is soon and they will begin to get sleepy, allowing them to fall asleep easier.
Sets Expectations
When you introduce a routine into your household, you set expectations for your child. They will know what they can expect throughout the day and be prepared for it. This can help to eliminate the fuss when the time comes for them to clean up their toys or get ready for bed. When your child knows what to expect, they will have an easier time accepting that they have to clean up their toys at the end of the day and begin to do it without throwing a fit about it.
When your child knows the routine and what you expect of them and when, they will be more likely to follow these expectations, making it easier for both of you to go about your day peacefully with fewer struggles and tantrums.
Allows For Regular Family Time
In today’s hectic world, it can be hard to find time to spend quality time as a family. Routines can help you establish certain times when the family will be together and enjoy each other’s company, even if it is as brief as eating breakfast together on the weekends. When you create a routine that includes family time, your child will be able to start understanding the importance of family time and look forward to these moments together. Bonding as a family is important for you and your child and developing a daily routine can help ensure that you do spend quality time together and show your child what is truly important.
Gives Your Child Independence
A routine is a great way to teach your child independence. Since they know what they should be doing at certain times of the day, they will begin to do those things themselves. If your child knows that they are supposed to pick up their toys after dinner and before taking a bath, they will begin to do so without you having to ask or supervise day after day. This teaches your child independence, which is beneficial for your toddler to begin learning at a young age. This can help build confidence and allows them to learn how to make their own decisions, like when they dress themselves in the morning.
Establishes Healthy Habits
A routine can help to establish healthy habits that your children can continue following as they grow up and rely less and less on you. Things like eating breakfast, brushing their teeth before bed, and going to bed on time can teach them important and healthy habits. Even having your child pick up their toys at a certain time every day and to complete their homework in the evening teaches them important and helpful life skills, like that keeping a clean place is important and allows them to learn better time management. With a routine, you can help them develop habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.
These are a few of the many benefits that routines can provide your children! If you are looking for a high-quality child care center that works with routines, contact Growing Kids Learning Centers today!
