Let's hear from Betsy, an early literacy librarian, about the benefits of routines for children.
Here we all are at home (or many of us, anyway). If you are like me, you might be trying to stick to some semblance of your old routines, making written schedules or formulating them in your minds. Why?! Is it just a futile attempt to control our out-of-control world? Are there real benefits to routines? And hey, what about the kids? Whether you're always at home, now working from home or an essential worker still on the job, you can’t do it all and you certainly can’t do it all at the same time. So ah ha! Maybe there is a case to be made for schedules and routines.
Sesame Street in Communities, opens a new window offers resources for those trying to teach at home, advice for balancing work while at home, and tools for creating daily routines. Routines provide comforting consistency and give children (and their grown ups) something to expect (and hopefully something to look forward to each day).
Including one-on-one playtime with Dad/Mom, reading favorite books or storytelling time in your daily routine will create nice interludes between cleaning the house, work webinars or home school time. Let your child help create your schedule. Need a guide? Sesame Street offers this Learning at Home for Now schedule template, opens a new window. They also recommend starting new family traditions during stressful times. These could be things that become part of your family's weekly routines like game nights or spaghetti suppers.
To read more about the soothing benefits of regular routines for babies and toddlers, check out these articles on Zero to Three, opens a new window. Routines help develop self control and social skills, reduce power struggles, ease transitions and make parents happy—Wow!
Stay well, friends. We will see you soon!
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