Efficient Routines – Tips on How to Get Out of the House on Time

Ever had to get out of the house quickly in the morning and had your child fumbling around being difficult?

This is a common predicament parents experience, which brings about unnecessary morning stress and frustration. Getting out of the house needn’t be a daily chore, not when you apply a consistent routine in your household using clear expectations and a daily planner. Daily planners are available in most newsagents, can be bought on line and or developed independently. See link below for a sample.

http://www.myfamilyweeklyplanner.com/

The best way to utilise a planner is to refer to its contents in daily conversations with your child. For example, “Let’s check what is on our planner when we get home”. Once home you would check the planner together, “We need to eat dinner, have a wash and then go to sleep. When we get up in the morning we must make sure your bag is packed for preschool with your bottle, nappies and spare clothes”. This may sound rather arduous, but children always conform better when they are kept informed, despite initially requiring some repetition. As soon as your child wakes in the morning you would remind them of the morning expectations by saying, “Time to get up, get your bag, bottle and nappies ready for preschool”. Having them repeat this back to you is important as it reinforces expectations and prevents tantrums.

It won’t be long before your child is telling you what the daily routine is and getting themselves organised independently. The key is maintaining daily consistency and following through with what is expected. Children are very receptive and open to household rules, so long as they are given notice beforehand, reminded of expectations early and acknowledged for obliging.