How to Establish Effective Family Routines for a Successful School Year

When family routines become second nature they free up brain space to focus on more complex tasks. If you want to set up your family for a successful school year, take some time now to plan out your family routines along with your children.

Here’s a step-by step guide on how to setup routines that improve quality of life for you and your child. The last two steps are the key to success that can make or break your efforts!

1. Identify Your Priorities

   Before you do anything, you need to know why you are doing it. Take a moment to think of the reason why you include things into your daily routine; for example, I exercise so I can be strong and have good health. Also reflect on why you do the little things; this may be as simple as “I brush my teeth because I don’t want to be that guy with bad breath”. Knowing your why will setup the right mindset to get you started.

   Pick 3-5 areas of life that are essential and important to you.  This could be things you value such as healthy eating, exercise, quality time. It can also be non-negotiables such as going to work or school, paying bills, etc.  We will focus on these areas for your family routine.

   
   

2. Make a List of  your Daily Needs

   Begin by identifying the things necessary to meet the obligations within your areas of priority. What needs to happen in order to make it to work or school in time? Wake up, get dressed, shower, brush teeth, eat breakfast, etc. 

   After you have your list, work backwards to figure out what you need in order to complete your tasks. If your child needs to pack their soccer uniform for after-school practice on Wednesdays, then the uniform needs to be clean and ready to go by Tuesday night. This step feels a little overwhelming in the planning stages, but trust me it will sort itself out in the next step. 

   Don’t forget to think about your non-obligatory priorities and plan for them. If you prioritized eating healthy, then you may need to pack a lunch and thus must ensure you have the right ingredients on hand. Family routines are about more than just complying with a list, they are meant to enrich your daily life.

   
   

3. Design Your Ideal (Best Case Scenario) Family Routine

   This is where the fun begins. Once you have your list of all that needs to be considered, use a calendar to slot things in. It may seem too out-of-reach to expect a routine to work without a hitch, but you need something to aim towards. Write it down so you can visualize it.

   Think of what things you can delegate, for example, as your kids get older, they can handle more responsibility. Work backwards as you organize each day to make life manageable for the family.

4. Chunk Items Together

   This is the trick to success. If you think of each item on your list as one separate thing to do, it feels very overwhelming for your brain. Instead, chunk items into groups and give them one single name. For example, “morning routine” might include meditation, shower, brushing teeth, getting dressed, packing lunch and eating breakfast.  When you tell your kids that it is time for “morning routine”, they know what goes into it.

   
   

   This helps your brain organize the family routine. It feels much more manageable than an endless list of small tasks which keeps anxiety at bay.  Communicate with your kids ahead of time what “morning routine” entails, so they know what is expected of them within those 2 words. In the beginning, you might want to create a visual list for them to refer to.

5.  Don't Expect Perfection, Just Get Started

   The most important part is to get started. Be intentional with one small routine, to create discipline and habit until your family routine becomes muscle memory. 

   You might need to set triggers that tell you when you need to begin your routine. An obvious one is the clock. For example, if you need to start your morning routine by 6am sharp to get everything done, then you cannot hit the snooze again. Other triggers might include social expectations, deadlines, and goals. Use these triggers as motivators to get your routines set up and to get them started.

   Be kind to yourself and be prepared to fall off the bandwagon and get back on the horse. If you forget to do your family routine for 3 days straight, don’t beat yourself up, just start again today. 

   
   

Stay tuned as we will share additional tips for creating a successful family routine in the next blog post.