Routines: A Parenting Superpower
Do you feel like you're constantly juggling a million balls: work, kids, household chores, planning, paperwork? Where do you find the time for meaningful & enjoyable connection with your children? I have a solution for you!
I’ve done the research and I want to share the sweet spot of my expertise where organizing, parenting and time management all converge- Routines!
The Promise
Imagine a day where getting out of the house in the morning doesn’t feel like an arduous and dangerous battle between adults and children.
See that laundry pile, while stil always there, is also always getting done.
Enjoy a dinner plan that makes reconnecting after a long day mostly nutritious, potentially delightful and very likely gratifying.
5 Things to Consider About Routines
1. When something is routine or a habit we do not have to weigh options, reinvent the wheel or check in with our feelings to get into action. Here’s an example that unfolded for me once I committed, practiced and upheld a routine.
It's Sunday, it's laundry day, I do the laundry. I do the laundry if I'm tired, have a cold, just got back from vacation or horror of all horrors, I don't feel like doing the laundry. I do the laundry if there are five loads or half a load. Suddenly, with very little thinking effort, clean clothes all week long!
2. Routines and habits help you parent, and I for one need all the help I can get!
Less nagging if you always do a 10 minute tidy before books are read.
Naturally diminish the pleading requests when the kids know that video games are accessible Friday - Sunday (only).
Breakfast is cheerfully served once clothes for the day are on.
3. Habits and routines treat you gently and kindly. If you have the habit of looking at your calendar before committing to anything, then you avoid re-scheduling, re-jiggering and accidentally double booking. Remember, when you are late, double book, or unprepared you usually accidentally create chaos. In that chaos you are probably mean to yourself and short with your kids as you juggle not letting anyone down.
4. Routines and habits free us up to do more interesting things. When getting up, getting out of the house, laundry, dishes, tidying, are mostly routine -- you then have time for the fun stuff. Planning trips, going to parties, playing Banangrams, trying a new recipe, researching cameras or reading that new library book.
5. Your families’ routines and habits are best done in collaboration with your kids. Don’t underestimate the problem solving skills of your children. They want the mornings to go well too, they don’t want you to be grumpy or angry with them.