Early Childhood Connections by Help Me Grow Utah: Routines

The school year is now upon us and getting back into a consistent routine is important for your family and quite possibly your sanity as a parent. Although they can sometimes be rough to establish, especially after a long fun summer, having routines throughout the day is something that children actually crave!

Routines provide children with stability and security, both of which help a child build a foundation for self-discipline. Having a routine can help eliminate the power struggle often associated with bedtime, mealtime, and homeworktime, just to name a few. This is because children know what to expect and it actually gives them a sense of control in their ever-changing world.

Figuring out routines that work for your family is up to you, every family is different and you are the best judge of what will work, but here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Be consistent! Your child may not take to a routine as quickly as you would like, but preserve!

Prepare for upcoming transitions. When the time to stop playing and start getting ready for bed is near, give your child fair warning to ease into the routine. Make this transition time a consistent part of the routine.

Accept that there will be times the routine fails. Whether its staying too late at a family party, being out of town, or the day is just not going your way. It’s ok to have those off days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue with the routine the next day.

Freetime is still vital! Not every moment of your child’s day should be structured. They need time to explore and make their own decisions about what they do. You can easily have routines while still allowing for freedom and growth.

Still have questions about routines? That’s ok! Help Me Grow is here for you. Call 801-691-5322 or visit helpmegrowutah.org to talk to a Care Coordinator about how to establish routines and the benefits of them.

Kali Iverson—Community Liaison

Early Childhood Connections by Help Me Grow Utah: School Readiness

Kali here, from Help Me Grow Utah! I am so excited to be joining you each month to share tips about early childhood. I love working at Help Me Grow because of its mission. Every member of our staff loves families and wants to do everything we can to support and empower parents by connecting them to the knowledge, information and resources they need.  If you haven’t already heard about Help Me Grow, I promise it’s worth checking out! Where else can you check your child’s development through a simple questionnaire, find age appropriate activity ideas, get reliable answers to any parenting questions you have and so much more; all for free? Find out more about what we can do for your family here.

With summer coming to a close, school is on everyone’s mind. Without a doubt, going to school is a big part of every child’s life! Think about it: children spend a good portion of each weekday, from age six to 18, sitting in a variety of classrooms. Because of this, preparing them is at the forefront of most parents’ minds early in a child’s life. However, school readiness means so much more than being able to count to ten and say the ABC’s. Let me share a secret with you: the BEST way to make sure your children are ready for school is by helping them in all areas of development (including: physical, cognitive, communication, and emotional) from the time they’re born. Why? Because one skill builds on another! Being ready for school is a product of the first five years of your children’s lives.

While this may sound overwhelming, it’s actually much simpler than you think. What you need to do is turn everyday moments and experiences into something more. For instance, when your child is excited about a bug he saw on the driveway, kneel beside him and look at it. Talk about it. If you dare, touch it. Take a moment to live in your child’s world. I know it can’t always be done. But believe me, it can have a significant effect when you have those few moments and make the best of them! Some of you reading this probably aren’t quite sure how to do this. Well, that’s one of the ways that Help Me Grow Utah is here for you! To learn more and see what we can do to help with school readiness, call 2-1-1 and ask for Help Me Grow or visit our website helpmegrowutah.org!

Kali Iverson—Community Liaison