Routine, Routine, Routine…

Hello 2017….. We’re back and ready to go for the year! I hope that everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday. This year will be very exciting for Speak About and we can’t wait to show what we have in store for your children. We pride ourselves on being leading speech pathology providers and always developing better ways to help children reach their potential. We have many new programs and activities coming out over 2017, so keep watching our blog space, FB page and Instagram. For most people at the moment, they are coming out of holiday mode and slowly starting to switch back into routine and school mode. I think it is crucial for most children, that parents establish a routine and have set activities that are kept the same each week. Particularly, for those that have children starting kindy- now is the time to establish a set routine for before/after school to start good habits for homework and studying. Why is Routine Important? Most humans are creatures of habit. Whether we are 5, 20 or 50- we all have our own things we like done a certain way. We like to know what’s happening and when it’s happening. It’s the same with our children. By creating a routine for children, we create and great environment for them to learn. They are not anxious or worried about uncertainty or unpredictable things. We create this safe space and routine in every single therapy session, and children thrive with us! Routine also can assist in decreasing behavioural issues, such as not wanting to pack away, as children develop a sense of predictability. How can you create a routine? Grab a calender, and jot down all the things you do in the days/ weeks, that never change, such as eating breakfast, getting dressed, cooking dinner, going to the shops, cleaning, visiting friends, having story time, having play time, outside time, pool time, bedtime etc. Once you actually stop and think about the activities that you do, you realise how much your children and you do in one day! It’s huge! Plan your days/ week out in order and reinforce this with your children. Start the routine with your child and stick to it. It may be hard at first, as your child may not want to do things at certain times or may have difficulties adjusting- but over time this will get easier for them (and you!) Be Creative   Just as routine is important, it is also equally important to be spontaneous as well. Be creative and have times set in your routine, for creative play, water play, outside play, art and craft etc. During these times follow your child’s lead and play with them freely! For more fantastic information on routines, have a look at: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/family_routines_how_and_why_they_work.html