scared for the future - long, sorry...

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Malika

That's why my routines weren't set per time, but in order.

Example:

wake up
make the bed
dress
breakfast
check bookbag
go to bus stop wait for bus

After school:
check bookbags for papers and assignments
about a half our relax time
homework
supper
chores
pick up toys
bath
brush teeth
bed

Now other things could occur in there.......but things were pretty much always done in order even if the times weren't the same. I had a morning routine. Once that routine was completed it was playtime or whatever. For those not in school there was an afternoon routine.......naptime, quiet time with a book......the after school routine......and the after supper routine.

I found that even if something threw a wrench into one of the routines during the day like interrupting them until after supper........making sure to follow through with the bedtime routine was critical to help him wind down and relax for bed.

And like keista says, after a while it's good for you because you just Do it after a while......not much thinking involved.

If you use the order method.......it fits better with more flexible schedules. My easy child uses the order method due to her and her husband's work schedules. Nichole tends to use both time and order in her routines as she doesn't need to be as flexible.

And as you can see.......my kids obviously carried on the routine thing with their own kids. lol Because all kids are more comfortable with some sort of routine in their lives. It helps make them feel secure.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Malika...
In real life, there are in fact all sorts of routines. When J hits school, he will encounter all sorts of them. Work world has them, too. Our lives are full of both routines and flexibility.

So, teach him both! We had to be REALLY ridgid with our schedule - the kids could not handle supper or bedtime or breakfast being out by more than 30 minutes - and they STILL don't handle it well if I "mess with" breakfast! But breakfast is a good example... we have a "home" routine and an "away" routine. We all know that there are some things I can mix up at breakfast, but not the basic structure (its going to be hot cereal with some premium bread source and a good protein, with juice). We also know that when we travel, breakfast is more likely to be our "meal out" for the day - we can afford to try different stuff, neat patio cafes, etc. because breakfast is usually much cheaper than supper. See the picture?

Part of teaching J routines, is to help him learn how to "shift" from one activity to another. This is frequently a problem for ADHD kids - and always a problem at school! SO, pick the things that are really important, and set up a routine to cover them... and at the same time develop a "morocco" routine and an "england routine" and a "weekend (or days-off) routine"...
 
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