How I Get My Child To Do Her Daily Routine
Now that Mazy is 4, I decided it was time to start a “daily routine” – simple things that I wanted her to accomplish in a day. When I started to make a list, I almost chuckled because I thought, “Okay, these should always be part of her routine!” But then the more I thought about it, I realized for many of them, I found myself battling with her, trying to get her to do these things.
I’ve tried to be as consistent as I can with having her do these 6 things, but I felt I needed more incentive. While perusing the internet for different ideas, I found THE tactic that I knew would work. So Mazy is very into princesses right now and I found the PERFECT lure: a My Princess Chore Chart (click the link to print, thanks to Gluesticks Blog). There are 6 different charts, each with it’s own princess in the corner.
When I showed Mazy these charts, she got so excited, so I ran with it. And to be honest, we haven’t looked back since! Here is what I have included on her “My Princess Duties Weekly Chart”:
- Breakfast – I could not get that girl to eat breakfast for the life of her before. Now? I can’t remember the last time she HASN’T eaten some form of food at breakfast time, since starting this.
- Brush Teeth – Mazy is usually pretty good about this, but it just reinforces the daily habit.
- Go Potty – Feel free to laugh! You’d think this would be a no-brainer, but do you want to know how hard it is to get a 4-year-old to go to the bathroom before you have to go somewhere sometimes? Well, this ensures she goes!
- Make Her Bed – She has a full-size bed, so it’s a bit tricky for her to make it, but she is pretty good at finishing what I start and again, it’s just a good routine for her to do.
- Bring Plate To Counter – A simple task, but teaches her to clean up and take care of her stuff.
- Pick Up Toys – Like any 4-year-old, this is often the hardest thing to get her to do. I was sick of the coercing and arguing that always took place, so doing this chart has helped IMMENSELY. When she is done picking up, she can’t WAIT to put a mark on that circle that she completed it!
For each person and family, this list is going to look different. These were the 6 things that I found myself battling on the daily. They are simple routine things that every adult does, but I was done with the battle. And for our daughter, this has been THE answer! We are on week 2 and they say it takes 11 days to make it a habit, and I think we’ve got something going here.
What works for you? How do you get your child to do their daily routine? What is your child’s daily routine? What do they fight you on the most?
