Importance of establishing a schedule with children

Schedules play an important role in ensuring that children feel safe and their lives are predictable. Young children do not understand the concept of time so they measure their lives by the passing of events.

Children who attend a daycare/preschool program already have am established routine in their lives. Parents can simplify their mornings and bring even more stability to their children’s lives by establishing a set routine. Getting your toddler dressed and then feeding them breakfast o n a schedule is a simple way to start. And remember, time isn’t as important as the order that you do things in every day.

Establishing a night time routine can bring even more stability and order into your toddler’s life. Even if everything else in a day has been crazy, immediately after picking your toddler up from daycare/preschool try and start your established dinner and bedtime routine.
According to the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, Studies have documented that schedules and routines influence children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. Predictable and consistent schedules in preschool classrooms help children feel secure and comfortable. Also, schedules and routines help children understand the expectations of the environment and reduce the frequency of behavior problems, such as tantrums and acts of aggression.

Establishing a consistent routine can help your child know what to expect and how you expect them to react. Routines can also help parents. It allows for a feeling of normalcy and some extent of control. If your child senses that you are in control they can feel relaxed and act normally. However, if your child is not in their normal routine it’s difficult to interpret why they might be acting out. For example, if your child starts crying 10 minutes after you tuck them in bed and that's not their normal behavior. The parent can then reasonably assume that something is not right - the child may be sick or upset about something. However, if no routine has been established and the child's behavior is not consistent, a parent can't draw from the cues.

Sources: http://www.associatedcontent.com
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