The biggest life lesson you can gift your child is to make them independent and confident beings. Instilling habits from an early age which makes them feel responsible and in control is crucial to maintain a healthy emotional, mental and physical environment. Once the cross the infant stage, you can start making small routines for them. And most importantly talk to them to prepare them for it, this helps in them not being surprised or overwhelmed when you ask them to do certain things at certain times.

Setting a daily routine for kids makes it easy for them to develop new habits and brings in consistency and focus in their life. It also helps in cognitive and socio-emotional development. They learn to be more aware of the enviroenment around them. And once their routine is set, they can so things on their own which makes them feel accomplished thereby making them confident.

Also, I have noticed less tantrums once they get into a routine. Doing a few things by themselves like keeping pillows and blanket at place once they wake up, setting up their breakfast plates, picking up a book to read of their choice is a good way to make them feel in control of things. This not only helps me in reduction of some daily chores but also makes them responsible. Schedules and routines with kids gives me ample of time for myself and makes my life organised and stress free.

Along with a set routine, I also encourage them to have rituals and habits. For example, it is a family ritual in our house that every saturday night, we play a family board game. When kids watch and get involved with every family member, they get to bond with everyone and they also understand the values of having a family. And to develop a habit of reading in them, I started reading stories to them once they entered the toddler phase. Now that they can read, they pick up a book on their own and read. It takes a lot of time and patience to build a habit with kids but it is fruitful.

For both my kids who are preschoolers, here is what their routine includes:

1. Getting ready in the morning and putting pillows at its place.
2. Eating breakfast on their own
3. A morning power talk time with me and my husband where we discuss what all we have planned for the day.
4. An hour of playing time with any member.
5. No screen time past 7pm.

I also include them in easy chores like folding the laundry or helping in the kitchen, when they are in mood to help. Also make sure to praise them once they start following the routine. It encourages them and they get to understand the importance of it. I always thank my kids once in a while and tell them that as they follow a particual routine, they got some free time to do other acitivites or mumma could finish her work on time.

As much as it is important to follow a schedule, as parents we need to keep a room for flexibility. Growing kids have less attention span and are extremely curious. When you find them exploring or learning something new during a schedule, let them finish and remind them to complete their routine. Rigid routines are bound to break, so understand your child’s interests and habits and go along with their pace.