Routine Building 101
Now that the summer is coming to a close–how is it already September?--now is the perfect time to think about the routines you will share with your child throughout the school year. One great routine that everyone can get behind is incorporating reading into your daily.
First, the why. Why build a routine?
When your child is young, they measure time by the events coming and going throughout the day. By establishing a solid routine, your child will be able to depend on a structure that helps them know what to expect as the day goes on.
A dependable, reliable routine can provide an important sense of security for your child. Through your routine, your child will know what the rules are, who they’re going to interact with, and what to expect tomorrow. By reinforcing rules in a daily routine, your child will follow the rules better as time goes on. In case they test how strict you will be, decide ahead of time what can be flexible and what cannot.
But how do you build a routine?
Start with what matters most. Schedule a block of time to get homework done to show your child that school is important.
Set a time for waking up, meals, bathtime, and bedtime.
Make the times inbetween the most important tasks flexible. For example: between homework and dinner, consider giving your child a few fun activities to chip away at.
Reward a job well done sticking to the schedule. “Thank you for being to dinner on time,” lets your child know that this is important to you.
Now that you and your child have the foundations for a successful routine, it’s time to add reading to the mix. Building regular reading times into your schedule gives your child time to practice important skills beyond the classroom. Reading helps improve writing skills, focus, memory, problem solving, and brain function.
Scheduling 30 minutes into your day for reading may sound difficult, but don’t be afraid to break the 30 minutes into two 15 minute reading sessions. Keep books in every room of the house and in the car, too. With so many books around, reading becomes easier than ever and can become a natural and fun part of your child’s daily routine..