Establishing a schedule

Start the New Year with a schedule. Schedules can literally transform your life. Children tend to thrive under schedules and it can really simplify your mornings and make life a lot easier.

But it’s important to understand why schedules work. It’s not the time on the clock that’s important to children. They don’t understand the concept of time. They measure their lives by events. Getting dressed, then having breakfast, followed by putting on their shoes and getting in the car to go to school, this is how a toddler thinks. Remember it’s the order you do things that makes the schedule. The next time you have a crazy day, immediately after picking your toddler up from preschool try moving right into your established dinner and bedtime schedule. You should notice that your child and your day will calm down and return to normal.

Here are some other benefits of establishing a schedule for your child:
• Schedules used in the classroom have been proven to help children feel more secure and comfortable.
• Studies have shown that routines have a positive effect on emotional, cognitive, and social development.
• Schedules have also been proven to reduce behavior problems and the occurrence of tantrums.

Keeping your child on their schedule also can help parents interpret their child’s feelings more easily. You have heard it said by parents before; my child is off their schedule so their not feeling or acting the way they would normally. It also works in reverse. If your child is on their schedule but they aren’t acting normally it can be a sign that they are getting a cold or other illness.

A schedule can be a very useful tool in the parenting arsenal. So make your New Year’s resolution to get on a schedule and keep with it.