There are only few days left until the beginning of the new year in kindergartens and schools. We are getting ready for the big change in our schedule. And we are also getting our kids ready. That makes us think of how important predictability is, for us and for our children.  

Why is routine important for a child?

The psychologist Jennifer Weil Malatras conducted a collaborative study on the subject at the Albany University, published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. She found out that individuals who grow up with predictable, daily routines are less likely to have time management or attention problems as adults.

“Our study contributes to the understanding that regularity in daily routines may help to promote time management skills and, in turn, reduce the experience of attention difficulties in adulthood,” Malatras said. “Since attention problems are associated with various negative outcomes, including academic difficulties and employment problems, these findings and future research will be useful in understanding the influence of family stability and promoting overall adjustment.”

Another study, published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, examined the number of daily routines that more than 8,500 children practiced with their families. They found each ritual was linked to a 47 percent increase in the odds that children would have high so-called social-emotional health, which indicates good emotional and social skills.

Social-emotional health “allows children to express their feelings, understand others’ emotions and develop and sustain healthy relationships with peers and adults,” said Dr. Elisa Muniz, the study’s lead author and a pediatrician at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York.

“When you are happy and secure, you are much more able to learn and interact in healthy ways,” said Dr. Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital who was not involved in the study.

“When (children) are unhappy, insecure or unsure of their environment, energy goes into dealing with that, and not into learning,” she told Reuters Health.

Settle your child into a routine for the new school year

  • Explain him/her the activities that are important to do every day. And also listen to your kid. There are several activities the child will probably love to introduce in the daily schedule. And it’s important to have something to look forward to.
  • Write down all these and make a list together. Put all the activities in the right order.
  • Display the list somewhere where all the family will easily see it.
  • Stick to it!

Make sure you don’t miss the most important parts!

It’s good to learn, to gather as much information as possible. But only as long as you keep your brain healthy.

To keep the brain healthy, your child has to:

  • sleep 9-12 hours/ each night;
  • eat healthy food;
  • engage in regular physical activity;
  • take time to unwind – listen to music, read a fun book, take a walk etc;
  • and spend enough time outdoors!

Since every family is different, and every family knows best what will work for them, we are looking forward to read your tips & tricks for the new school year in the comments bellow.