Routine…ahhhh…what every kid thrives on. In fact, when we are out of routine, my life feels like utter chaos and I end up a grumpy mess. Some families find comfort when school starts because life has a flow again where over the summer it was more of a stagnant pond (or better yet, crazy hurricane). It is true, kids do better all around when there is some sort of routine to follow. Think about it, the first week of school is all about learning the classroom routine and procedures on how to do things. Why do teachers take the time to do that? It’s because they are setting their year up for success. When kids know what to expect and how to navigate their day, there tends to be less behavioral issues, less chaos in the classroom and less overall misuse of time.
I have friends that take the last two weeks of summer break and get into their school routine of going to bed and waking early. Our family doesn’t partake in that ritual but we may if we had more than one child in the school system. Other families start their routine once school starts and that seems to be sufficient for the child. Honestly, it is what works for you and your family. I have included a schedule our family follows for our child that just entered the first grade. It has been helpful to have routine and structure to her life, especially when school starts. Not only am I helping to make her year successful, but I am teaching her life skills that once she is on her own someday, she will hopefully continue some sort of a solid routine.
Our Daily School Schedule:
BEFORE SCHOOL:
Wake time 1 hour prior to leaving the house
Restroom, teeth, hair and getting dressed
Breakfast (always something substantial and healthy to fill her belly and fuel her for the morning)
Skill Cards (these may be math flashcards, sight words, spelling words, etc.)
Skip Counting (I HIGHLY recommend this for ANY grade). We skip count 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15
Off to school for the day
AFTER SCHOOL:
Snack after pick-up
Change clothes
Get homework done immediately so she can enjoy the rest of her day. For now, that consists of reading, math facts, and spelling words.
Bath and consistent bedtime of 7:00 PM.
Our schedule is pretty consistent and helps Annora to anticipate the next move I will make throughout the day. This schedule may not be the best for your family. Maybe you have sports to navigate around, maybe doing homework right away doesn’t work well for you because your child is too tired after school. That is ok…adjust it to fit your needs. Just making sure you have a schedule is key to encouraging success. And truly, what paint doesn’t want that for their child?!?
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