Today’s post was inspired by a couple of lovely readers Gin and Sarah. They were interested in routines that I have for kids and any charts that I might use.
Children’s School Routine
Since my first child has been in school I have used a children’s timetable to help them keep themselves organised for school. As you can see in the photo above we keep a display of the kid’s timetable’s in a central area. You can find out more info on this by heading to my post on Creating a Children’s Timetable.
I have altered the templates slightly, well for my older children. This was really the creation of my 9 year old. This is the first year he has had to do homework and he wanted to work out to fit his homework in amongst his after school activities. I helped him with the structure of the table and then he allocated his work out for the week. (His homework is due on Fridays.)
You can find the new templates here:
School & Homework Schedule 2010 Term 3
Children’s Timetable – School Schedule
Chalkboard Stickers School Schedule
Kid’s Daily Routine
As any parent knows, no two days are ever really the exactly the same when you have kids. There are always surprise elements, melt downs, illness and an entire list of other things that can happen to change your day. So take that into consideration when you view the average daily routine of my kids below.
Younger Kid's Daily Routine
| Time: | 1.5 Year Old: | 4 Year Old: |
|---|---|---|
| 5.00am | Wakes up and breastfeeds. Yes pretty much every day. 6.00am is a sleep in for me! | |
| 6.45am | Breakfast. | Wakes up. All my kids are early risers! Breakfast. Clears the table. Brushes Teeth |
| 7.30am | Getting dressed. | Dresses himself. Make bed (actually just straighten doona). Tidy bedroom. |
| 8.10am | Walk to school (in pram obviously). | Walk or scooter to school. |
| 9.30am | Home and play. Morning Tea. | Home and play. Morning Tea. |
| 10.00am | Story and sleep. | Depends on the day, he may: - Cook with me. - Play on his own. - Listen to story book. |
| 12.00pm | Lunch. | Lunch. |
| 12.30pm | Play with brother or play with mum or help mum with jobs or run errands with mum | Play with brother or play with mum or help mum with jobs or run errands with mum |
| 2.30pm | Story and sleep. | Quiet activities: - Story - Drawing - Puzzles |
| 3.10pm | School pick up (drive) on some days, so he is woken and it is a short sleep. Will sleep longer if he can | School pick up (drive). |
| 3.30pm | Afternoon tea. | Afternoon tea. |
| 4.00pm - 5.00pm | After school activities. 4 out 5 nights we have a activities, but I am lucky to be able to share these with some other parents. | After school activities. 4 out 5 nights we have a activities, but I am lucky to be able to share these with some other parents. |
| 5.30pm | Dinner. | Take condiments to the table. Dinner. Clear place at the table. |
| 6.00pm | Bath. Brush teeth. | Bath. Take dirty clothes to laundry basket. Hang up towels. General tidy up. |
| 6.30pm | Story and Breast feed | Technology time. This is his alloted time for TV or computer depending on the roster. |
| 7.00pm | Sleep. | Brush teeth. Choose clothes for the next day. Story and bed. |
| 7.30pm | Sleep. | Sleep. |
Older Kid's Daily Routine
| Time: | 6 Year Old: | 9 Year Old: | 11.5 Year Old: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.30ish am | Wake up. Breakfast. Clears the table. Brushes Teeth. | Wake up. Breakfast. Clears the table. Brushes Teeth. | Wake up. Breakfast. Clears the table. Brushes Teeth. |
| 7.30am | Get dressed. Organise school bags. Do jobs: - put milk and juice in fridge - empty kitchen bin - make bed (actually just straighten doona). - tidy bedroom. | Get dressed. Organise school bags. Do jobs: - clear remaining items from table - empty kitchen bin - make bed (actually just straighten doona). - tidy bedroom. | Get dressed. Organise school bags. Do jobs: - stack dishwasher - empty compost bin - make bed (actually just straighten doona). - tidy bedroom (Wed & Sun only). |
| 8.10am | Walk or scooter to school. | Walk or scooter to school. | Walk or scooter to school. |
| 3.30pm | Lunchbox and notes on kitchen bench. Hang up bag. Afternoon tea. | Lunchbox and notes on kitchen bench. Hang up bag. Afternoon tea. | Lunchbox and notes on kitchen bench. Hang up bag. Afternoon tea. |
| 4.00pm - 5.00pm | After school activities. 4 out 5 nights we have a activities, but I am lucky to be able to share these with some other parents. Reading or general play. | After school activities. 4 out 5 nights we have a activities, but I am lucky to be able to share these with some other parents. Homework or general play. | After school activities. 4 out 5 nights we have a activities, but I am lucky to be able to share these with some other parents. Homework or general play. |
| 5.30pm | Set place mats. Dinner. Clear place at the table. | Make drinks for dinner. Dinner. Clear place at the table. | Set cutlery. Dinner. Clear place at the table. |
| 6.00pm | Bath. Take dirty clothes to laundry basket. Hang up towels. General tidy up. | Shower. Take dirty clothes to laundry basket. Hang up towels. General tidy up. | Shower. Take dirty clothes to laundry basket. Hang up towels. General tidy up. |
| 6.30pm | Technology time. This is his alloted time for TV or computer depending on the roster. | Reading or general play. | Reading or general play. |
| 7.00pm | Brush teeth, story and bed. | Technology time. This is his alloted time for TV or computer depending on the roster. | Homework or general play. |
| 7.30pm | Sleep. | Brush teeth, story and bed. | Technology time - oldest has longer than the younger children. |
| 8.00pm | Sleep. | Sleep. | Technology time. This is his alloted time for TV or computer depending on the roster. |
| 8.30pm | Sleep. | Sleep. | Sleep. |
As I said at the start, this is an approximation of an average day in our house and this routine is a rough guide that I try to work to during the school week. On week ends we have more flexibility as there isn’t as much running around to do (thankfully!). So, do you have a routine as a guide for your kids?
I was also asked about reward charts. I have never used reward charts as they are not something that fit my parenting style. In the praise vs encouragement debate, I am firmly on the encourage side of things and rewards to me have all the same issues as praise. For a more detailed explanation, you can check out my post: 10 Ways To Encourage Your Child.
This post is part of a series where I answer questions from my readers. If you have a question that you would like me to answer, please feel free to leave it in the comments below. Other posts answering reader questions can be found by clicking here: Reader Questions.
15 comments...read them below or add one
An interesting post – good to see the kids getting lots of things done independently. We’ve been making a summer holiday planner today – trying to keep some routine but also make room for holiday freedom. Want to see? http://nurturestore.co.uk/summer-holiday-planner
I did check it out Cathy and it is great idea!
Hi Nicole, thanks for such a great post – very timely. I was just about to start again with the kids’ routine charts now that school is back and also focus on giving them a regular family job morning and evening as that’s something I’ve been a bit hit and miss with. I did have a question for you – do you have a routine for yourself for all the daily household chores? ie washing, folding, dishes, cooking etc? I find my biggest obstacle to our household being organised is when I’m not very organised with the household chores or when I spend far too long doing them. Thanks, Jacquie
Hi Jacquie, a couple of people about the daily household chores and I will be writing on that soon. But let me say that I am certainly not perfect at it and I am always looking for ways to improve this myself!
Gosh I love your blog! Very practical and always helpful
Thank’s MummyLiz!
I think your charts are great Nicole. I have used routine charts in the past and my children now do things without prompting. They understand that everyone has to help each other and also to be responsible for themselves. I’m not perfect, they are not perfect and I am always tweaking systems to accommodate change. My partner’s favourite saying when he learns something has changed (usually from the children) is ” I didn’t get the memo!”
Love the didn’t get the memo! And you are so right about tweaking. We certainly are not perfect in our house either, so routines and kid’s jobs etc are always a work in progress.
Routines are so important for kids! As an early childhood teacher I could usually tell which students had become accustomed to predictable routines at home, and were used to being assigned regular jobs. These children often transitioned much more smoothly to school!
My children’s teachers have said the same thing as well. I find it also makes life easier for parents as well. So much less nagging as kids know what they need to do. (Not to say that they will always do it though!)
I’ve never taken the time to plan it out as well as you my PlanningQueen, but I’ve always said that as chaotic and freeform as it looks around our school, our routine is the most important thing we do (with “clean-up time” being the single most important part of the routine). Reliable routines help children feel masterful — they allow them to predict and plan own their own activities, They help children feel under control.
Every year, as I introduce my new batch of 2-year-olds to our routine, there some who rebel against it mightily. They want to play with the dollies when it’s circle time or stay inside when it’s time to go out, but by the end of two weeks, every one of them is not only on board with the plan, but they will tell ME, when it’s time to clean up or eat snack, and when I look at the clock they are almost always right to within a few minutes. Amazing!
Brilliant post….We are re-establishing our routine now, as my toddler was struggling with the change in our household routine since his baby brother was brought home 6 months ago….
We have made a few tweaks and slowly getting back to our routine which has made a HUGE difference to my toddlers behaviour
Thanks for another helpful post!
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[...] kids become responsible for getting themselves ready for school and kinder in the mornings.From 2010Children’s Routines – This post was inspired by a couple of lovely readers Gin and Sarah. They were interested in [...]
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