Learn

image ORGANIZING TIME FOR
ROUTINES IS CRUCIAL

By Professional Organizer Lea Schneider

Anyone who has tried to organize a household routine knows that there is a bit of a struggle to get it in place. Is it worth the effort, you wonder?

Absolutely! If you think you don't have the time or energy to struggle with establishing a family routine for how to handle meals, getting out the door, bedtime, baths, homework and more, then consider what a non-routine is costing you.

Do you struggle at work or during the day because you were are so very tired since your child was up "playing" until 10:15 p.m. last night? Are they too tired to behave in school? Was it heck trying to get the tired babies out the door this morning so that everyone left frazzled? By the time you got everyone to the table, was dinner cold and you just didn't care anymore? Do you and your spouse snap at each other because you are just out of patience? It costs A TON of your time and energy to NOT have a routine.

Like all things in a family, there has to be flexibility. Certainly some days or nights will see you with unusual activities or a sick child who needs to be held or rocked. But those should be unusual circumstances that you take in stride. If you can organize a routine for most days, you can easily step back in it when circumstances take you out of it.

Here are some tips for organizing a routine for your family.

Begin with some thought. What isn't running smooth? What makes you stressed or crazy? These are good starting points.

Create a ritual for routines. A ritual contains the same steps repeated daily so that they soon become second nature. A bedtime ritual may include helping tidy up toys, putting clothes in the hamper, taking a bath, having milk or bottle, brushing teeth and then snuggles, a story and lights out. When organized in this manner and repeated each day, your child knows what is coming next and their body clock soon begins to shut down each day at a similar time. There isn't nearly the struggle over picking up toys, taking a bath or lights out when it seems normal and when they know you are going to stick to it each day. Why fight it?

Write down the steps for each of the things you want to work on- such as bedtime, getting out the door in the morning or after-school homework time. Sit down with your spouse and bring them on board. Routines need to be for the whole household.

It may be too much to try to change every way of doing things at one time. Try to focus on one thing- such as bedtime or getting out the door on time. Work on that steadily for a week or two until you feel it is indeed routine before trying to organize another routine.

Keep in mind that in all organizing, we have to accept change. If you find that you've changed things and they didn't work, rather than returning to chaos, which clearly didn't work, then try something new. The key is to stick with what you tried for a number of days in order to see if it works or not. Children will be happy to not do homework, not take a bath, not sit down to dinner if they are playing or their favorite show is on TV and they certainly will stay up as late as you do if allowed. You have to remember that it is in the best interest of the whole family's health, sanity and peace at home to find stability.

This DIY organizing tip may be part parenting but it is also ALL organizing. Organizing gives you the time to do the things you need to do- including sleep, have a sit-down meal together, study, read and relate to each other in a happy, calm way. That is what you want your children to remember about growing up, isn't it?