No matter your child’s age, a routine is incredibly important to his or her success inside the classroom and at home. Now more than ever, routine is at the foundation of our children’s day-to-day lives, and it is important to establish a routine that works for your family.
With the new school year quickly approaching, consider your child’s current routine and how it can be adapted to better suite an unprecedented back-to-school season.
The Importance of Routine in the Time of COVID-19
Learning to cope with change is healthy, but when everything seems to change all at once, daily life can become overwhelming for your young student. Without life and learning routines, children can feel confused and lost, and they may be unable to navigate the world around them in the ways that will lead them toward success.
With a routine firmly in place, your child will feel more confident in taking on the days ahead. He or she will feel more comfortable with making decisions, solving problems, interacting with their environment, and communicating with others. By giving our children the tools they need to succeed, it’s more likely that they will!
Building a Routine that Works for You and Your Child
To begin establishing a routine for your child, first consider how you feel when you allow yourself to slip out of your life and work routines – do you feel pressure without a plan in place? In what ways do you struggle to operate without a set of daily tasks and milestones in place? How difficult is it to feel motivated to adopt your routine again?
Think about the ways you’ve coped with changes over the past few months and how you’ve adapted to a new routine – a new “normal” – and how you can adapt those mechanism to work for your child as the new school year approaches.
Feeling Safe at School with a Routine
As some schools prepare to open for in-person class, make sure you’re child enters the school year with clear expectations and a plan for dealing with a changing learning environment. Before the first day of school, review the learning routine you’ve established for your child. Ensure he or she understands the importance and the process of social distancing, washing hands frequently, and wearing face masks.
