“Think outside the box!”

We encourage the youngsters and students to break the rules and be creative. The case might be different when it comes to life schedule. What busy researchers have told us is that while being able to flexibly respond to changes in routine has shown to be an indicator of positive cognitive and emotional growth in both children and adults alike, it is also important for children to experience consistency. 

Those who have experienced a structured consistent and predictable lifestyle adapt more easily to inevitable changes and stressors, grow more sense of stability and security, and gain more self-assertiveness. Moreover, the structure increases the closeness and connectivity of the family.

Time to make a family timetable!

Arranging routine to include the entire family

While some routines are unique to the individual person, there are others – namely, mealtime routines, bedtime/wake-up routines, greeting/ goodbye routines – that work best if multiple members of the family are included. Stick to these routines and keep them consistent, both in the manner in which they are carried out as well as the times of day during which they occur.

Incorporate shared calendar

Whether it’s a color-coded, hand-written calendar hanging on the refrigerator or an electronic, cloud-based calendar linked through each person’s cell phone or mobile device, try to keep each family member’s activities and routines logged in one shared space. This provides a collective rhythm and rhyme to every day that the whole family can follow, as well as allowing for everyone to both locate and touch base with one another when necessary.

Don’tsweat the occasional exception

While streaming how routines can be important to both your child and the entire family, this is not to say that there won’t be occasional exceptions that are considered to be of equal importance. Whether it’s staying up late with dad to watch game seven of the NBA finals or counting down the clock to midnight to ring in the New Year, such exceptions to routine can account for some of the most memorable events of one's childhood.