There are many concepts that people of all ages can benefit from in varying ways, and one of these is the presence of routine in our lives. Routines and schedules make it easier for many people to compartmentalize their days and manage all the demands on our time, and while some people think about this as primarily an adult concept, it's absolutely one that's valuable for kids as well.
At Smart Kids Development Center, all of our child care and educational programs involve elements of routine and time management that are valuable to kids of all ages. Why is it often important for parents and other important child caregivers to promote routines and similar time management concepts with their kids? This two-part blog series will go over several reasons.
Children absolutely have body clocks, and they're often not the same ones that adults are used to. This makes an important case for routine: it helps them develop their own body clock and learn the times at which they need to be alert and rested, and it also helps ensure that they are getting enough sleep during appropriate hours.
Children have different needs from adults when it comes to rest and sleep, and routines can help ensure that they're getting the right kind of rest at the right times. Most adults will naturally develop a body clock as they age, and it's often important to support our kids to nurture theirs along as well.
Another important reason to use routines and schedules with kids is that it helps them learn how to maintain their expectations. Not everyone does things by the book, but learning early on about following through on expected behaviors--whether those are academic or social in nature--is a great way to foster important skills for being successful as a child and later as an adult.
Both for children and their parents, routines and schedules can be really important ways to limit stress and anxiety. Parents may not want the added stress of constantly questioning whether their child is where they're supposed to be or doing what they should be doing, so having a routine that shows them exactly when and where those things are happening can help significantly reduce this type of worry.
For children, routines and schedules can be a great way to minimize the stress of not knowing what to expect, making it easier for them to feel in control. With regular routines and schedule plans, children know exactly what they should be doing, when they should be sleeping or eating meals, and where they're supposed to be at any given time. This helps reduce unexpected disruptions and helps make their lives less stressful overall.
For parents, it can be useful to have similar schedules as well so that they know how to support their child's needs most effectively. Again, this may involve different meal times, bedtimes, or activity plans depending on the situation, but having a regular schedule in place can help ensure that both parent and child are meeting their goals in a structured, productive way.
In part two of our series, we'll go over some further benefits of a strong routine for your child. For more on this, or to learn about any of our child care, educational and summer camp programs, speak to our staff at Smart Kids Development Center today.
