| One of the reasons children will sing the same song | | | | accustomed to routine that breaking the routine for |
| over and over again is because they love routine. | | | | one day caused days of planning. Yes, it was fun, but |
| Think of a preschool classroom. The children follow the | | | | it was reason for kids to plan ahead. |
| same routine every day. They begin with hellos and | | | | If preschool, elementary school and junior high school |
| independent play. Children know that day after day | | | | feel it's important for a routine, wouldn't it seem natural |
| when they arrive they will have time to play. My own | | | | to try and have a routine at home? While we certainly |
| children hated the phrase "we are running late" when | | | | can and do make spur of the moment decisions, we |
| we were getting ready to leave for preschool. They | | | | also have always had a lot of routine. For example, |
| wanted that play time. | | | | we leave the house at the same time every morning |
| From play time the kids move to circle time. For both | | | | for school. There is never any question about what |
| of my kids, in two different schools, this was the | | | | time we'll be leaving. I'm going to ask every single |
| morning routine, play time then circle time. | | | | morning if everyone has everything they need as |
| Now think of elementary school. The children quickly | | | | there is no turning around. I'm going to ask what |
| learn the classroom routine. Their papers are turned in | | | | everyone wants for breakfast and lunch each and |
| at the same place daily. This might be the teacher's | | | | every morning. I'll make everyone different sandwiches, |
| desk, or it might be a bin in the back of the room, but | | | | and then stick in fruit, chips or a granola bar. |
| for the entire year, the kids know that when they need | | | | Dinner routines are also pretty standard in our home. |
| to turn in papers they go in the same spot as | | | | We eat dinner about the same time every single night. |
| yesterday. My kids knew which day of the week was | | | | After dinner, it's homework time. When kids know |
| library day, which day of the week was computer lab | | | | what to expect and when to expect it, it takes a lot of |
| day and which day of the week the science specialist | | | | stress out of their lives. There is no uncertainty about |
| would visit their classroom. | | | | when or how things will happen. |
| I can even share a junior high routine story. At the | | | | Sport practices and dance classes can be part of the |
| junior high my kids attended, the kids had 6 classes | | | | routine. If the kids know they practice on Tuesday of |
| each day. They had four before lunch and two after | | | | every week and when they get home, they will |
| lunch. Once each semester the kids would have a | | | | change and then have dinner, then homework, it's a |
| "backwards day". All this meant was that the kids | | | | routine. It may be different than Monday's routine but |
| would attend their classes in reverse order. My kids | | | | the kids know what to expect each and every week. |
| loved this day. They wrote down their schedules, | | | | I have found that routines have helped create some |
| planned how they would get from class to class and | | | | calm in our home with everyone being a little less |
| talked on the phone for hours with their friends about | | | | stressed. |
| this day. Even at junior high age, our kids are so | | | | |