The importance of routine

Today as I type the girls are back to school and nursery and I feel like my life is on the verge on normality again.

I get a lot of messages from other parents, sometimes after tips and advice. I am by no stretch of the imagination a parenting expert but I do have children, three to be precise. The answer I give for 95% of queries is .. keeping a routine whether thats bed time, dinner time, tying to get your children to read with you more – I find a routine is key. Children enjoy consistency.

This christmas break has taught me that actually routine isn’t just needed for them I need it just as much too. Usually in the half term or summer holidays I have it all planned out our diary is rammed; we get up at a certain time, have breakfast, get ready, head out for the morning/day etc – this half term I didn’t.

Illness and just feeling exhausted before they broke up from school left me craving just a relaxed, not doing anything kind of few weeks so I didn’t make many plans at all, I found myself laying in much later letting the kids jump in bed with me on their tablets and having more than a couple of PJ days. I needed it but as the holidays came to an end I found myself just craving that routine back.

I like having my alarm set, knowing what the next day holds. I like having set days I will work or food shop or have free to see friends. I like knowing what day the bloody bin goes out.

Have I turned into an old boring fuddy duddy thats lost the ability to just go with the flow, be chilled and see where the day takes me.

Yes, apparently I have.