Your child's life can be difficult when she isn't aware of what is going on each day. Consider how you would feel if every event and task throughout the day was a total surprise to you. That's why making a schedule for your child to follow can help reduce worries, arguments and resistance in your home. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends a schedule can even help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Your child will know what happens each hour of the day so she's prepared for the various tasks and activities.
Step 1
Observe your child's natural schedule for a few days. Every child will have natural cycles of tiredness, hyperactivity and boredom. By observing your child's natural schedule and writing down the times of each cycle, you can create a schedule that works with your child's natural rhythms, instead of against them. In this way you can be sure that your child takes a nap when necessary and has periods of activity when he has the most energy.
Step 2
Create a schedule by using a large, easy-to-read board. A chalkboard, dry erase board or poster board works well. Ensure that you hang the schedule somewhere easily readable by your child. If your child doesn't yet read, substitute pictures for words until her reading skills improve. Using magnets or Velcro on the back of each schedule item can help you change them when necessary so your child can see any time there is a change to the schedule and you can keep organized.
Step 3
Fill in your child's needs first on the board. Choose the hours in which your child needs to eat and sleep, and fill in the line items accordingly. Also, fill in the hours in which your child has structured activities, like school, lessons or playgroup, suggests the Family Learning Association. You can then add less structured activities in the time slots left over, including play time, going to the park, visiting the library or reading books.
Step 4
Schedule the day in small, manageable increments. By breaking the day up into hourly or half-hourly increments, you help your child to understand time and its relevance to tasks and responsibilities. You also allow your child to stay occupied. Scheduling unstructured play time for three hours can cause your child to become bored, but breaking up the same three hours into half-hour increments of playing with trucks, reading books and doing crafts makes the time slot more manageable.
Step 5
Be consistent in following your child's schedule. While some days will be different than others, sticking to your routine as closely as possible gives your child a feeling of comfort and predictability, according to FamilyEducation.com.
