From breakfast to playtime to naptime. That’s one routine. Bath time, story time, then bedtime. That’s another. Cartoons or waffles on Saturday morning – that’s a routine, too!
As unpredictable as life with young children can sometimes be, routines and rituals are the secret to creating a calmer, saner life, to helping your children feel secure, and to building loving family relationships. As reported by Reuters Health, a recent study has also found that children with predictable family routines “tend to be emotionally healthier and better socially adjusted.” And there’s a close connection between thriving at home and thriving in school.
Routines provide structure and predictability – they are a child’s time keeper, both internally and externally. Zero to Three lists these ways that love, learning, and routines are all interconnected.
Love, Learning, and Routines (from ZeroToThree.org)
- Routines help babies and toddlers learn self-control.
- Routines can bring you and your child closer together and reduce power struggles.
- Routines guide positive behavior and safety.
- Routines support children’s social skills.
- Routines help children cope with transitions.
- Routines are satisfying for parents, too.
- Routines are an important opportunity for learning.
These are some of the very reasons why a Kindermusik class has many happy routines that give your child a sense of belonging and security in the classroom: after a few weeks, just experiencing the hello song, goodbye song, and all of the beloved activities in-between reassure each child that he/she is in a safe and loving community. Repeating some of these very same activities at home with the help of your @Home Materials helps parents create family routines that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Get started on the Kindermusik routine today! Try a free class and see how music makes every part of the day even better.
Compiled and written by Theresa Case, who has an award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC.