Routines

Our family routines can change during holidays, when our children start nursery or school, if parents work routines change and as children get older, and we may need to change our daily and family routine.

Managing the morning rush 

For many parents the morning routine and getting children ready for school or childcare can be stressful, especially as we’ve all gotten out of the routine! There are a few things you can do to make this less stressful, below are a few tips that may help: 

• Set out your child’s clothes the night before. 
• Pack their school bag the night before.  
• Prepare packed lunches and snacks the night before. 
• Do a trial run one morning before they go back – to time how long it NOW takes your child to get up, wash, brush their teeth and hair, have breakfast and get dressed including putting on their shoes ready to leave. They may have got quicker as they’re now a bit older or may be a bit slower than they used to be after being out of the routine during holidays! A lot of the school run stress is due to adults not allowing enough time for children to get ready.  
• Ensure your children have a good bedtime routine and are going to bed at a reasonable time, so that they are getting enough sleep and rest. This will help them get up in time. An over-tired child is not a happy one.