30 Aug The Importance of Routine During the First Few Weeks of School

Summer is a fantastic opportunity to let your children learn, explore, observe, and have fun in the world without a rigid routine. However, this can only last for so long! With school having already begun, establishing consistency in your school routine is pertinent to your child’s success. A solid routine is essential to any Montessori family because routines help promote a sense of security.

Are you interested in learning more about Montessori education? Contact the educators at Sugar Mill Montessori in Sugar Land, TX, today!

Tips & Tricks to Habit Stacking & Building Routines

Habit stacking is a simple yet effective way to encourage consistency and routine in your children’s lives! Habit stacking is a process of building habits and strengthening your routine. With every habit, our brain builds connections to support that behavior. The more we practice any given set of behaviors – like brushing our teeth before bedtime – the more substantial the neural networks become!

For example, our children always brush their teeth first thing in the morning. We can add a new habit, such as brushing their hair or making their bed, and incorporate it into their morning routine before going to school. We can do this with many different habits including, but not limited to:

1. Eating Breakfast Every Morning

Making breakfast together is a fantastic opportunity to grow closer with your children, encourage independence, and build on life skills. Incorporate time into the schedule for children to help cook breakfast and clean up after themselves. Whether they butter toast, mix pancake ingredients, or even just set the table, all this is a beautiful way to start the day.

2. Limiting Screen Time

We all know that when kids come home from school, they need to decompress. We highly recommend limiting screen time so your child’s body and mind can relax after being overwhelmed by technology at an early age! Some activities we recommend include playing outside with friends or family members, spending quality bonding moments over board games (or reading!) together, and even getting ready before dinner by doing household chores like tidying up their bedroom.

3. Staying Organized

The best way to stay organized is by practicing habit stacking and sticking with a routine. We all eat dinner, so why not build habits afterward? After eating together as a family, have the children pick out their clothes for tomorrow morning, help pack their school lunches, and inform you of any school news! This eliminates chaos in the morning.

4. Establishing a Bedtime Routine & Stick To It

An essential part of getting back into school is establishing a bedtime routine. Each family can customize this routine to fit their child’s needs and preferences, like whether or not they want reading time before bed, what type/color night light would work best for this child, and precisely what time the wind-down begins. Distinguishing a bedtime routine early in the year makes going to sleep and waking up far easier!

5. Set Up a Goodbye Routine to Combat Separation Anxiety

Young children need support as they say goodbye to their guardians before a day full of learning away from their home. There are many ways you, as a parent, can help your child transition and feel more at ease with being separated from you.

We recommend establishing a predictable goodbye routine. Waving from the window, sharing a hug, or singing a goodbye song are all fantastic ways to help your child understand that the next step in their day is attending school, making the transition easier.

Don’t Forget to Also Relax & Have Family-Fun

It is crucial to incorporate an established routine early on to make the most of your time with the children during the school year. But don’t let this mean you have to forego all fun and games! Sugar Mill Montessori recommends giving kids space for exploration while providing a routine that will help develop lifelong skills.

Are you in the Sugar Land, TX, area and interested in learning about the Montessori lifestyle? Contact Sugar Mill Montessori today to get started!