Routines Are Our Friend

I don’t know about yours, but my kids thrive on a routine. (But let me start off by saying, our routine always allows for some wiggle room, like a night out with friends, a sleepover with the grandparents, or some after-dinner ice cream where bedtime gets pushed a tad because of, ummm, sugar.)

As the new school year approaches — and my oldest is off to Kindergarten (What? How?) — we are slowly gearing back up to having more consistent and solid routines again. And, honestly, it’ll be really good for us all… minus that whole transitional period where things are cray cray for a few weeks.

If you’re looking to create or move toward a more consistent routine for your family, here are some musts for us that you can pull inspo from. I won’t go into the nitty gritty for us since every family is different when it comes to work, school, kids, and life!

1. A consistent wake-up time.

This one honestly goes for all of us. We’re an early-morning family. Always have been. So, all four of us are usually up by 6:30 am… 7 am at the latest. This really helps us move into the morning with ease, so we have time to enjoy our coffees, eat together, and get dressed for whatever the day brings without feeling stressed or rushed out the door.

2. Drop off/Pick up.

My husband tends to handle all the drop-offs for our kids, and I take care of pick-ups. We play songs they love in the car and they have a bunch of toys to choose from to explore on the rides. Kids love knowing what to expect, so if you can create a routine for drop-off and pick-up, it’ll be so comforting for the little ones.

3. Nap/quiet time.

My youngest still naps, and we aren’t wishing that away anytime soon, haha! That’s why on the weekends, when our kids are home, we still keep her 1-3 pm nap in place — which means our son gets some quiet time, too. For him, that’s either reading, playing, or watching a show he loves. This mid-day reset makes us all feel more calm and rested for the remainder of the day. As I said, we are flexible, so on some weekend days, our toddler will nap in the car or possibly miss her nap entirely. We roll with it and move on. It’s one day.

4. After-school snacks.

Snacks on snacks on snacks. Am I right? I find my kids are ravenous after school, so I always bring a healthy snack and filled water bottles for the ride home. I give them time to settle in and transition from school to home, so not too many questions or super loud music. Chill time.

5. Dinner hour.

Dinner prep is always a thing, right? One way to make it more fun is to involve your kids in any safe prep. They can wash veggies, stir a soup with your supervision, or set the table. We try to always eat as a family as it creates a strong bond and possibilities for fun conversations. We also sometimes just stare at our fish and birds out the window. Hah! Simple memories are based around the table.

6. Energy burst.

There’s no doubt kids have endless energy, and they’ve got to get it out. That’s why we love having dance parties at night or spending some quality time outside in our yard. Let kids be kids. They’ll make a mess, they’ll get dirty, but it’s all so necessary. This is what childhood is all about.

7. Cozy time.

Just like us, kids need time to unwind after a long day. For them, school for them is much like work for us. We love our relaxing baths, soft jammies, and TV time together. You should see my kids’ eyes light up when we mention we’re having a movie night. Pure joy. This is the time of day when we cuddle and soak in the love.

8. Nighttime routine.

We brush our teeth together, read books, sing songs, and always ask “What made you happy today?” which is our own child-friendly way of practicing gratitude together. Ending the day in such a peaceful manner really puts a sweet seal on the day.

9. Our time.

I debated putting this in here, but you know what, let’s be transparent! My husband and I love our alone time, sans kids. We watch shows we love, chit-chat, laugh, and look at funny reels. It’s such a lovely and often very necessary end to our day after such a busy few hours getting the kids settled down for bed.

What does your family’s routine look like? I find everyone’s is so different, but having some real landmarks every day so your kids know what to expect really benefits the whole family.