Teachers know that children thrive in an environment with routines, boundaries and rules. Unfortunately, parents often forget it! And yet by establishing good routines and encouraging children to help you maintain them, you have an opportunity to set a pattern and a discipline that will stay with your children for the rest of their lives. You will make school days easier and far less stressful, reduce the chances of starting your day late or dragging on forever with the homework, put an end to nagging and shouting, and have happier, more relaxed kids.
Here are 10 tips for establishing a solid, school day routine.
1. Lay the breakfast table the night before
Put everything out apart from perishables. If you keep all your breakfast things in one cupboard or one area of the kitchen this routine will be easier to establish, and older children can take it in turns to do it.
2. Put out your clothes the night before
Lay out a complete set of clothes for each child, checking them as you do it. Older children should do this themselves - you can double check when you say goodnight. Then if something is missing (or shoes need polishing) you have time to put it right. Lay your own clothes out too!
3. Brush teeth at the kitchen sink
Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste for each child in the kitchen and brush teeth at the kitchen sink immediately after breakfast. It may not be perfect for the house-proud, but if you send your child out of your sight to do a chore in the morning, you lose control. If you lose control, he may start dawdling.
4. Set up base camp
Establish a "base camp" where the children keep all their school things. You will need room for kit bags, satchels, swimming bags, sports equipment, ballet bags, library books and whatever else the kids need! Provide at least one hook per child for their coats (in our house kids must hang coats up as soon as they take them off) and a basket or box for school shoes (in our house kids must put shoes in the box as soon as they take them off too - sometimes they do!)
Another basket or box for each child can be used as a place to put anything that needs to go to school - gloves, letters to teachers, music, library books etc. Everything is in its place and ready to go out the door first thing in the morning without any fuss.
5. Make a list
Fill out a schedule of what is needed at school on each day and pin it up at "base camp". Check each morning before you walk out the door that you have the appropriate kit. You will find a school week planner to print here: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school_week_planner.htm
6. Nail up a notice board
Keep a notice board at "base camp" so that you can pin up reminders, invitations, school menus or whatever else you need to keep tabs on.
7. Do it now!
If anything comes home from school that requires your attention, do it immediately. Fill out forms and put them straight back into the satchel. Write dates into your diary there and then, and reply the same day too. If you postpone it, you will forget it!
8. Give homework a home
Establish a place and time for doing homework and stick to it. Keep dictionaries and other necessary books nearby, as well as a spare set of pencils, rulers and other stationery you might need. Make sure that homework is put back into satchels as soon as it is completed and that satchels are returned to "base camp" straightaway. Get out a kitchen timer if kids are reluctant to start (or finish!)
9. Be prepared
If your car is running short of petrol (gas), fill it up on the way home from school in the afternoon rather than panicking the following morning! As you drive home, run a mental check on whether you have the necessary supplies for dinner, and breakfast. Nothing makes kids more miserable in the morning than an empty fridge.
10. Get ahead
Set your alarm to wake you up 10 minutes earlier than usual. You will be amazed at how much more in control that 10 minutes will make you feel. And finally, leave for school 5 minutes early. Arriving early takes away an enormous amount of stress and will put your children in the right mood for school.
Are you convinced? Start initiating some routines in your school days and you and your kids will feel the benefits very quickly. Making sure that your kids feel comfortable and in control before they get to school gives them the best possible start to a school day. And once they get used to afternoon and evening routines for homework and preparation for the day ahead, nighttimes become more peaceful too.
"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us."
--John Dryden
(c) Lindsay Small 2005
Please feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your newsletter or on your site, as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content, and include our resource box as above intact. If you do use the article, please send us an email so we can take a look. Thank you.
Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of Activity Village - providing the ultimate one-stop resource for parents and teachers looking to educate and entertain their kids. Visit the website at http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk and subscribe to the free newsletter at http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk/free_ne wsletter.htm
When David was nine and Laura was twelve, the battles... Read More
On a recent Saturday evening, I noticed a young teen-age... Read More
Maintaining a safe home environment for your childrenAs adults and... Read More
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing... Read More
Look around: Your kids are counting sleeps until the last... Read More
While most fathers aspire to become the best Dads they... Read More
In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But... Read More
1. Boundaries are necessary for control and safety.All children need... Read More
Teaching kids to deal with conflict effectively and peacefully is... Read More
Coping with a child's bad behavior, perhaps more than any... Read More
How in the world do you get your child to... Read More
Do you have a consistent problem with your child lying... Read More
Many research studies have shown the overall effectiveness of stimulant... Read More
For parents, keeping our kids safe is a constant top... Read More
``Mom, can I go to the mall with my friend... Read More
Child care costs are are one of the most expensive... Read More
Today the little red school house is not what it... Read More
Just a couple of years ago Annie helped her parents... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
Dear Camille,As I thumb through the photographs that I carry... Read More
The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty... Read More
Picture this. Your child comes home with a special assignment... Read More
The cost of being a parent and raising a child... Read More
Once the newness has worn off a little, you will... Read More
Jason Roberts listened to his son's explanation of the missing... Read More
Q. Our 17-year-old son wants us to let his girlfriend... Read More
Strattera came out around January of 2003, and is becoming... Read More
The initial state of happiness about an own child is... Read More
How are parents to know they are doing the right... Read More
I have been a single mom for almost 20 years.... Read More
Many children enjoy TV, and they can learn from it.... Read More
When choosing the perfect jogging stroller, a very important question... Read More
Researched through personal experience!Budget Your Money. Even if you are... Read More
Parents want their children to succeed in school. However, sometimes... Read More
My oldest boy is fifteen and was a real jerk... Read More
If you ever walk through an orphanage, it will be... Read More
Winifred or Willow? Thomas or Troy? The name you choose... Read More
In the last few years, parents started getting more and... Read More
There are many things to like about the television show... Read More
Many people still think that the game of chess is... Read More
The Flow of WaterWater is essential for life on the... Read More
"Setting the alarm on Sunday mornings is inhuman?..God should know... Read More
It's funny how people seem to think that they have... Read More
The law of -ing.The law of -ing refers to a... Read More
Chiladult? Whatever you call them, teenagers are a changin' and... Read More
We are all aware of the child obesity epidemic that... Read More
To protect children's self-esteem or deflect complaints by parents, many... Read More
The popularity of EEG Biofeedback Training continues to grow both... Read More
Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you... Read More
As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More
Have you ever experienced one of those days when you... Read More
Seven-year old Michael was on a school trip to a... Read More
Before going further into choosing computers for children, I believe... Read More
Jason Roberts listened to his son's explanation of the missing... Read More
1. Create... Read More
Here's the scene of communication with your child: your three-year-old... Read More
Children bombard parents with many challenging behaviours. We are delighted... Read More
Throughout the year, many days of celebration are tucked capriciously... Read More
It's hard to explain to the uninitiated the changes that... Read More
I know as a single parent or even with 2... Read More
There are several treatment options available to help improve the... Read More
First there were Yuppies (Young Urban Professionals). Then came the... Read More
As thinking, acting human beings we have the ability to... Read More
Becoming a stepmother can undoubtedly be one of the most... Read More
Chaim Ginott was a schoolteacher whose ideas and observations helped... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Parenting |