5 Truths and Tips About Starting New Routines

We are in desperate need of some better routines around this house. Unfortunately this means we have to deal with the discomfort and discombobulation that comes with starting those new routines.

I think most of us know that routines help make our lives run smoother – that is, until they don’t.

We, being creatures of habit, sometimes let unhelpful habits or routines sneak up on us, and then chaos descends. Somewhere in between scrambling to make lunches and digging through that basket of laundry for the fourth time we realize we’ve got to revamp our routines and come up with something better.

5 Truths About Starting A New Routine:

1. When we most need a new routine is when it feels most difficult to come up with one.

• Helpful books that I know of for getting your routine back on track include:
  

  Steady Days Written by a mom of three, talks about how to make a flexible daily routine.	Sink Reflections Making “Baby Steps” to a peaceful home. Also see FlyLady.net for the website.	It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys – Helps you understand what YOU personally need to get organized.

2. New routines feel funky at first – they aren’t familiar or, well, routine yet.  Know that this is the case.  When it all feel weird just remind yourself that it’s just a beginning and it will get better.

• Write it down.  That way when you don’t know what to do next, you can look at your “cheat sheet.”

3. We’ve all got to eat. And it happens over and over and over. (I know, this is a tough truth…) If you write down your meal times you can begin to plug in basic activities around those.  This gives you something to “pin” an activity to (ie. We have a quick clean up before dinner.)  You’ve got to get something pinned down to gain momentum.

Regular meal times should also help every body have more even energy through the day making most things run smoother.

• You can find many different menu planning services online if this is a task that’s tripping you up.  I’m trying out a pre-made menu plan from emeals (aff) this month to see if it helps me get a handle on the groceries/dinner routine.  I’ve never done this before, so I’m a little skeptical, but on the other hand paying someone else to do the planning might be worthwhile at this point in my life.

4. Children often fight a routine for some time, even after they’ve internalized it as a routine. If they are grousing about it, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing something wrong.

Consider whether there is a good reason to switch your routine, but it know that some children need to push boundaries to find out where the edge is and whether you will hold them back from it, so to speak.  My boundary pusher does best with a strong routine AND fights it like crazy (a mighty perplexing and frustrating trait!)

5. You’ve got to plan a little and try a lot.  Don’t get so wrapped up in planning that you never start.  It will never be totally perfect and there will never be the perfect time to try your new routine

We’re not going for an institution, we’re going for a home and a family – bumps, false starts, and grace for mistakes included.  Our children need to see us make mistakes, forgive ourselves and move on.

If you’ve been stuck, I hope this helps you get moving!  Starting a new routine can feel daunting, but the moment you put just a couple things in place, it all starts to feel a little easier.  Now, to put this into action for myself too…

Have any great books or other resources you use for making your family’s routine?