Sometimes military parents wonder if the massive amount of routine that they are subject to in their duties should be reflected at all in their children’s lives.
The answer is, yes; children do better when they are encouraged and trained to follow a set routine in daily life. Perhaps not to the extent of an adult member of the military, but certainly child experts agree that children grow confident and more creative when some routine is introduced into their lives starting at an early age.
Some simple routines to establish for children are:
Bedtime.
Hand washing before each meal.
Scheduled time reserved for family activities.
Household chores.
Doctor and dental checkups.
One of the biggest helps in establishing routines with your children is to map it all out on a large calendar that can then be put on the refrigerator door or some other open space. That way your children identify their name (usually the very first thing they learn to spell) with assigned routines that they know are their responsibility.
And finally, always make sure you praise your children for following the routines that are set for them. Make them feel it’s important and pleasing to you when they follow through on routine. That will help build an ingrained desire to have routines throughout the rest of their lives.
