Delegating a Routine to Caregivers – The Importance of a Family Routine
Routines are key to helping manage chaos in my house. Not only are they great for my sanity but they also provide a consistent schedule with each caregiver on what to expect throughout the day.
Routines give children security amongst a world of unknowns and create a sense of self discipline. With their constant milestones of development that a baby to toddler goes through, a routine can help take the fear out of the unknowns that happen every day. Such as a new brother came on board but the nap schedule for the older brother remains the same, and life goes on even though baby brother is crying and requires just a little bit more help from everyone to get on board.
5 Reasons Why Routines Are Key in Your Life & Caregivers
- Sets Expectations – Regular Routines Help Kids Maintain a Schedule. Kids know when nap time or bed time is expected. It also sets up when they are going to eat and when they get to play. It helps set the expectations of the day.
- Less Power Struggles – No more nagging broken record parenting. It helps set the self-discipline on both sides of the parent and child of what activity is next. For instance, after lunch we do nap time and both of my kids know that after lunch, it is nap time and we read 3 books and there is no fighting because they know what is to be expected and after nap time they know they will get to play again.
- Help Kids Take Charge of Their Own Activities. For instance if my older child knows when it is time to go potty and brush his teeth and will actually remind us after every meal. He has taken ownership of these activities. He has also taken on more advanced tasks as he gets older such as helping with laundry and throwing recycling items in the recycling can as part of our daily routine.
- Routines gives kids something to look forward to. Every morning my older child knows that when he gets up, what is coming next and we talk about what is going to happen next throughout the day. Even when I am not around my kids, they know that the caregivers in their lives will help shepherd him through the routine so when I get home, they have lots of hugs to go around.
- They give parents and caregivers a chance to create powerful connections. Throughout the routine, I encourage caregivers to add their own special interpretations of the routines. For instance, a grandparent might sing a special song before nap time or say a meal time prayer. A caregiver might enjoy playing a game of peek-a-boo upon getting up from a nap. For me, as a parent, when they wake up in the morning, I give a big hug and let them know how much they are adored in this world and that today they are going to connect with others and create an impact in many lives. When we eat our meals, we do not have cell phones at the table, the TV is off and we ask questions to the kids. While they may be messy they have our attention while we eat together. Also, when we do our bedtime routine, we read books in French and sing a new song every week.
Below is an example routine that I have given caregivers for what to expect. It changes every couple of months as they develop.
| Approx Time | Aidan Age: 7 Months | Ethan Age: 2 Years | Grandparents, Caregivers or Daycare |
| 6 to 8 am | ·        Wakes up ·        Change diaper ·        Put on clothes | ·        Wakes between 7 -8 am ·        Put on fresh diaper ·        No clothes | Arrives at 8 am |
| 8 am to 9:30 am | ·        Get situated in booster high chair with bib ·        Feed solids (try to feed at least one 4 oz container and if he will eat 2 or 3 keep going) ·        Feed 3 to 5 oz of milk ·        Move Aidan to jumper while cleaning kitchen | ·        Eats breakfast in stand-alone high chair with bib ·        Can have watered down juice or water (water is always preferred) ·        Breakfast: plain whole milk yogurt, granola … fruit ·        Keep Ethan in high chair while cleaning kitchen
| ·        Get kids prepared for breakfast ·        Prepare breakfast ·        Feed breakfast ·        Clean up kitchen |
| 9:30 am to 10:30 am | ·        First nap if sleepy ·        Or self-play | ·        Put Ethan on toilet ·        Can bribe him with 1 or 2 Cheez-its to sit on toilet ·        If he poops in toilet, he can have a small handful of Cheez-its as reward ·        Self-play | ·        Prep to take kids out of house ·        Pack bottles (black insulated bag) ·        Grab blue emergency food bag ·        Diaper bag |
| 10:30 am to 12 pm | ·        Feed on wakeup – 4 oz solids plus 3-5 oz milk (more of a snack or go right into lunch) ·        Park or learning activity | ·        Park or learning activity | ·        Take kids out of house to park, library story time, or Childrens’ Museum ·        Or provide leaning activity in house |
| 12 pm to 1:30 pm | ·        Lunch – 4 oz solids + 3-5 oz milk | ·        Lunch ·        Put Ethan on toilet | ·        Lunch – prepare, feed, cleanup |
| 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm | ·        Nap ·        If not sleepy, hold horizontal in arms and vigorously bounce and pat him until he gets sleepy | ·        Nap ·        If you read books to Ethan before putting him down, limit to 3 books max | ·        Put kids down for nap ·        Caregiver eats lunch ·        Make family dinner ·        Clean up kitchen ·        Water plants (once per week) ·        Make baby food (once per week) ·        Laundry (as needed) |
| 4:30 pm to 6 pm | ·        Feed on wakeup – 4 oz solids + 3-5 oz milk ·        In-house learning activity | ·        In-house learning activity ·        Dinner – portion of family meal, as much as he will eat ·        Put on toilet | ·        Parents arrive home |
Leave us a comment below: Do you have a routine that works for you? What have you added to help your children through transitions?
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