Routines Redux

Readers might remember my dread of and difficulty following routines.

When the tool card came up, we worked on determining some routines and then incorporating a routine chart into our household.

After a few months, we fell out of the habit of checking the routine chart in the morning, but most of the steps happened anyway (except for fixing hair, that always seemed to get forgotten).  

We also never did an evening routine chart, but over the past year consistency emerged anyway.

In the past few months, C has expressed natural interest in routines and what happens next.  

"What day is it?" she asks every morning.  Followed by "What do we do on ____days?"

The pink morning routine chart hung on the wall outside her bathroom, and she started asking about it.  We would read through it together, and I quickly realized that it needed a little updating.  I asked her if she'd like to work on making new routine charts with me.

I got an enthusiastic "Yes!" in reply.

I felt pretty enthusiastic too.  Now that I have two children and C is starting preschool, routines seem more helpful and necessary than ever.  

So we brainstormed some ideas of what needs to happen every day, and then got out some construction paper and markers.

Here is what we came up with:

I also turned over the pink posterboard and used the back to make a calendar of weekly activities, such as what days she goes to preschool and MOPS.  I also included what room we focus on cleaning together that day.  I borrowed House Honcho's schedule for that.

C loves her new routine charts!  She reads them through and acts them out several times a day.  She seems to enjoy reading what's next and checking to make sure we completed all of our tasks for the day, and it has the desired effect of making us a team working to complete the jobs and removes me from the role of taskmaster.

I think this is an idea that we both had to grow into! :)