Family Routines That Work
Organization and Action Steps to Creating Family Routines That Work
If you’ve been struggling to get routines going in your home, here are some tips and strategies that will help you get your family onboard. Sometimes you feel like you’re the only one in your house doing anything and screaming, “Can someone just help me?” We’re all been there. And, for this reason, in this blog we help create family routines so the work load runs more smoothly. Decide what matters to you and your family and go from there. Look to The Uncluttered Life’s Declutter Deck® for tips and tricks about home organization.
Organization
Our kids want predictability. It helps them feel safe knowing what’s happening next. It also gives them a sense of responsibility.
Routines help a family have fewer power struggles and better communication.
By having routines in place, we will have more focus and less stress.
Compromise, communication and consistency are needed in all relationships. Not just romantic ones.
Too many changes at once sets everyone up for power struggles. It also sets them up for failure.
Examples of household tasks that you can choose to start with (choose just one) are laundry, picking up items, sweeping, dusting, etc.
Kids can participate at meal time by helping with cooking, cleaning up after dinner, and emptying the dishwasher.
Action Steps
Sit down together as a family and brainstorm together. Talk about what you want as a family. Do this yearly.
Slowly scaffold in changes to routines and habits to avoid overwhelm. If you pick one thing to stat with, most of the time they won’t even notice.
Allow yourself to release control. For example, let them choose the order in which they do their routines. Give them control over how they do it. And, while not always perfect, accept their attempts at completion and the style they choose.
Create routines in your home around things. Play with transitions, such as a 15 minute pickup.