Child Won’t Follow a Routine or Schedule? Try these Tips

Is your child struggling to follow their new preschool or childcare routine? Adjusting to a new schedule can be challenging for kids at the beginning of the school year. Little kids especially have a rough time adapting to an earlier bedtime and wake-up time. Try these tips to help your child follow their new routine.

Create a Visual Schedule

Sit down with your child and verbally go over their routine with them. Then create a visual schedule together with pictures for each task and a way to mark when they’ve completed it. (You could use clothes pins or stickers.)

A written routine can help kids stay on track, just like making a to-do list can help us. It’s a good idea to break it down into groups of 3 to 5 tasks, so your child doesn’t feel overwhelmed. For example, you could create Morning Routine, After School Routine, and Bedtime Routine sheets. Then hang them up in convenient locations like a wall in your kitchen, mudroom, and bathroom.

Inviting them to be a part of the process can help them feel more ownership and control over their schedule.

Establish a Productive & Calming Evening Routine

How the morning goes often makes or breaks your schedule. If you want to start the day off right, it’s wise to prep the night before and makes sure your little one gets enough sleep. Tired kids are more likely to have morning meltdowns.

Sleep experts recommend switching off tablets and TVs an hour or two before bedtime. You can use that time to eliminate tasks that make the morning more stressful and spend some quality time together. Recruit your child to help you:

• Prepare their school bag
• Pack their snacks or lunch
• Layout their clothes for the next day

After you’ve crossed off those to-dos, spend some time snuggling and reading with your kid to help them fall asleep.

Set Realistic Timeframes & Expectations

We often forget that children aren’t miniature adults. Their minds and bodies are still developing. As a result, children tend to need more time to complete and switch between tasks than we do. If you are constantly stressed because your child keeps running behind schedule, that’s a good indicator that you need to set more realistic timeframes. Try giving them an extra 5 to 10 minutes and see if your routine runs smoother.

Remember that it takes time to master a new routine. Strive to manage your expectations, understanding that every day won’t be perfectly smooth, especially early on. Offer gentle reminders when they need them. Look for small signs of improvement and praise them for their effort. It’s incredibly important to let your child know that you see the effort they are making and are proud of them even when they aren’t performing perfectly.

Adapting to a new routine can be a struggle, but you will get there. Trying these three tactics can help them feel more ownership over their schedule and eliminate unnecessary stress for you and them. Prioritizing their sleep is especially helpful to cut down on meltdowns, as is shifting your expectations and timeframe to accommodate them.

If they continue to struggle with their schedule after you’ve tried these tips, consider reaching out to their teacher for suggestions. The caring and compassionate staff at Kids’ R Kids Avalon Park are always happy to share our insights and help families adjust to a new year.