I have never been a planner. I always do things minute by minute. Schedules were a foreign concept to me and I used to even hate having to make dr. appointments because I knew I’d have to keep them.

But I’m sure as most parents have realized, almost all children benefit from having a routine or schedule. In the 13 years I have been a mom, this has become more true everyday. I will admit that most of this summer vacation has been a whirlwind cluster that doesn’t resemble any kind of schedule but I’m ok with that. It has been more of a “hey, what day is it? Is it still July?” kind of a break.

However, during the school year our schedule is set in stone:

• wake up and get ready
• go to school
• come home and have snack
• do homework
• play
• dinner
• bath and bed time at 7:30pm

Of course there may be practices and certain events sprinkled in between there. And the looks I get when I tell people my kids go to bed at 7:30 is always comical. It is what works for my kids. About 12 hours of sleep and then we are lucky to not have a hard morning.

Keeping in mind that the schedule of my almost 2 year old is rather different and looks a lot like this.

• wake up
• eat
• play
• eat
• activities
• eat
• naptime
• eat
• lunch
• eat
• play
• eat
• read
• eat
• bedtime

I’m sure other moms of toddlers can relate. You get the picture.

Sticking to a schedule can be tough if you’re just beginning implementing one and I still struggle with it from time to time.

Here are a few things I have done to help us get into the swing of things:

      Write down our desired schedule or routine and post it on my boys’ bedroom doors where its easily visible. I wrote a list of things that they are to do everyday and its easily followed.

      I also did a chalk board wall where I can post days with events or daily chores that are to be done and by whom.

      Lastly, I recommend when trying to put a routine into place, repeat yourself. (which shouldn’t be hard for any parent considering that’s all we do anyway) For a solid week verbal reminders really helped to engrave in their heads and had us all mindfully following the schedule that worked for us!

For someone like me who lives for being spontaneous and living life on a whim, I am pleasantly surprised at how well my boys live have changed for the because of the little bit of stability in a daily schedule.

  The outcome is rewarding and you will thank yourself in the end.

Children need boundaries and ground rules. When children don’t have structure, they make up their own rules and negative behavior is what they use to get your attention. – Jo Frost

xoxo Slightly Balanced Mama