Daily Routines

Routines can help children to know what is expected of them and what is going to happen each day. Routines can also help with sleep and managing emotions. Routines can also help your child to learn skills like dressing. If you do the same thing every time then they will learn the order of the steps they need to do. Socks have to go on before shoes, pants have to go on before trousers, t-shirt goes on before jumper.

Try to get up at the same time every day. Eat meals at the same time each day. Do the same activities in the same order before bed every night. Setting and keeping routines can help children as they grow, develop and move through school and into adult life.

Visual supports can be helpful for all children.

• You can use an object of reference to let your child know what activity they are going to do: give them the object just before they are going to do the activity and then take them to do the activity. Use the same object every time you are going to do the activity.
  • a spoon means it is breakfast time
  • a sock means it is time to get dressed
  • school bag means it is time to go to school

• You can use visual planners to help children to know what is happening each day. This can help with managing change and worry.
  • Now and Next is the easiest kind of planner
  • start with photos and move onto pictures, symbols or words

• You can use a visual checklist to help remind them what order they need to do things in.
  • Once they have done a step they can remove it from the checklist or turn it over or make a mark so they know they have finished that step.