Routines

One of the most important ways to help your child is to develop routines with them. Routines are key. Establishing them when they are young provides structure and predictability, which helps them develop self-regulation and manages emotions. It gives them confidence and fosters independence and builds good habits for life. Children have very little control over their world and when they feel out of control is when things begin to happen. The two areas they will control is eating and toileting, I promise you this is true!! I can tell you some stories!! Establishing expectations and a daily schedule as well as a bedtime routine will makes things work like clockwork. Routines gradually help children to take responsibility for their own actions and become self-motivated. The steps to becoming normalized in a Montessori classroom is starting with a sense of order and moving to coordination, then concentration and eventually independence. Think of a routine in the same way...it starts with a sense of order, how we are going to do this? Moves to coordination of doing it from start to finish and building concentration to get through the task and then eventually doing the routine all by themselves - Independence!!!

Your job is to train these kids to grow up in this world and be productive and successful. Start when they are young. They need your help and the sooner you teach them the easier your job is going to be.