Schedules

     Let me preface the following post by saying I am far from a perfect parent.  When I share things that I do as a parent, it's because they worked for me.  I'm pretty set in my ways, BUT I realize that every kid has individual needs and wants and so on and so on.  However, I cannot stress enough how important I think routines and schedules are.  I am sure there are children out there who do better without a schedule or routine.  I've never met one, but I'm sure they exist!


     A lot of feelings are conjured up when you mention the word schedule, especially when it comes to raising children.  Some people break out in hives when thinking about a schedule.  Some people have a panic attack thinking of life without one.  I think I fall somewhere in between.  I like to know what's on the agenda daily.  I find a sense of comfort in knowing that certain things generally happen at a certain time.  I remember once upon a time, before having the girl in our lives, we would do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.  Lunch at 3:00 in the afternoon?  Why not?  Bedtime at 3:00 in the morning when you could no longer hold your eyes open?  Sure!  However, my life was pretty chaotic then because I just flew by the seat of my pants with regards to every aspect of my life.  Then the girl was born.


     Now, I would never ever suggest putting a newborn on a schedule.  I think that is a ridiculous, futile and possibly dangerous thing to do.  Little babies know no schedule, as any new mom can tell you.  They eat when they need to eat.  They need cuddles when they need cuddles.  They need sleep when they need sleep.  I think schedules become handy when babies become more independent.  We started scheduling things more around 1 1/2 to 2 years old.

     A lot of things that you "schedule" as a parent kind of just occur naturally, especially once kids start school.  They have to be up at a certain time.  They have to come home at a certain time.  I think starting one before they start school prepares them for what's to come.  It also, at least in our daughter's case, relieves a lot of daily battles because she knows this thing will happen at this time.  Our schedule is bendable.  How boring would the world be if you had to do the same thing everyday at the same time?  We have a kind of unspoken three tier schedule.  There are parts of our schedule that are moved around a lot, parts of our schedule that get moved around once in a while and parts of our schedule that very, very rarely change.

     There have been times over the years that we've gotten lax and the schedule has kind of been forgotten.  We always resurrect it though.  The times when we don't adhere to a schedule, I notice that I hear a lot more phrases like, "I'm bored" and "I'm not readdddddddy for bed" and "Why can't I do it laterrrrrrr?"  When we follow a schedule, those phrases wilt away. 

     Kids need consistency.  They just do.  It's not always convenient and it's certainly not easy sometimes.  Once you develop that consistency and routine, it becomes easy.  And you rarely have to hear the dreaded, "I'm borrrrreddddd, Mommmmmmm" again.  That makes it all worthwhile.