Summer is a casual season for many families. As parents we become lax to the traditional school year rules. Kids stay up late. The hours on electronics are in excess. Some don’t shower daily. At the same time, certain challenges may also arise for working parents: daycare costs increase, additional expenses of meals, and finding ways to occupy their children’s time. By the time the school year begins, we welcome the routines. Not only are routines important for children but they also provide structure for adults.
When we have structure in our lives and set goals to do a little at a time each day, we create the space for more productivity, positive habits, and rewarding outcomes. Having routines in place is a great way to establish daily goals and encourage children to focus on achieving certain daily tasks. With set schedules, children can predict what the activities will be and a sense of control is owned. When this happens, we begin to automate certain daily tasks and hone our skills as well. These are wonderful habits to show our children and to keep us on task as well.
Here are 10 daily activities for children and families.
- Prepare for the work and school day and have backpacks ready the night before
- Set clothes out the night before
- Have a regular wake-up time; one for you before the children get up and one for them
- Practice some form of self-care daily (ex: exercise, meditate, read inspirational material, breathing exercises during your commute, pray)
- Give the children and yourself 15 minutes of space when you get home
- Plan and make meals
- Help with homework and review it daily
- Enjoy family time
- Do chores
- Sleep early and at the same time every day
Grab some organizational chart tools to help you and the kids. We’ve selected a few new apps and some old-school, tried-and-true planners.
http://247moms.com/2009/08/back-to-school-organization-charts-for/
http://momstoolbelt.com/moms-home-journal
Follow Marisol Barrios, also known as “Eve,”
MissGuidedMom 