Routines and Rhythms: Wake-Up Time and Daily Rhythm Charts

Most early education specialists agree – and this mom is no dissenter – that young children thrive on routine. Yet, I have been less than stellar at ensuring Luke and Nina’s day-to-day lives have distinct routines layered into their natural rhythms. Easily distracted by do-nows, often hyper-focused on minuscule matter and always afraid of becoming too rigid with schedules (as I was in my “former life”), I tend to err on the side of almost-too-relaxed routines with the kids at time.

Somehow, Luke and Nina are not much worse for the wear yet. But, I do note behavioral differences (for the better!) on the days that I concentrate on all of us following a more intentional rhythm. So, as I started 2010 off with a commitment to Order in the Home, I decided I should extend that commitment to Order in the Home School. Jammies School, then, took on two new organizational systems since the New Year began. And, I am happy to report that both are going fairly well.

The first project is one that the kids and I began some weeks ago with a fun photo shoot one day when I realized our mornings were getting way off kilter and needed to be re-balanced. The pictures from that session finally made it onto “laminated” (contact papered) cards that fit into Dollar Spot pocket charts that I found at Target a while back.

The kids, then, chose to put the charts in their room, since that is where they see their Wake-Up Time starting and ending (with actually waking up and, later, getting dressed). So, we tacked the charts to the walls by their beds and, then, set the cards in boxes on their night tables. As we move through the morning, we run in and flip through the cards:

"Did you wake up”
"Yes!” (They giggle as they put the Wake-Up cards in the chart.)
"Did you find Mommy or Daddy to share a hug?”
I get a second or third kiss and hug for the morning before the cards go in -- a true delight!
Did you say good morning to God?”
Nina happily puts her card in, while Luke scrunches his face as I help him begin, “Good morning God, I offer you...” Then, he puts his card in, too.

And so on and so forth it goes until they reach a picture of something they have yet to do and eagerly run off to do it.

Thus, the first few days we used our Wake-Up Time pocket charts, things went exceedingly well. Nina completed her Wake-Up Time with relish, and, although Luke was still wary of actually changing out his jammies when we weren’t leaving the house, he did, of his own volition, lay them out on the bed for “if we go out”, while opting to simply hold off on putting up his last two Wake Up Time cards in his chart (the “Get dressed” and “I am ready for my day” ones). For Luke, and here I mean Luke-who-likes-things-his-way, this is great progress!

Progress came to a halt with our Wake-Up Time system one day, however, when Nina (who loves to use small cards as manipulatives or play credit cards) absconded with all the laminated picture cards without Mike and my notice. We searched many bags, boxes and hiding spaces, asking Nina where she put them, to no avail. Just recently, I found the missing stack in the toe of her just-washed feetie jammies... Surprisingly, they held up quite well. (Love that contact paper!) So, after straying a bit from our new system, we are just now getting back into it and hoping to make it stick... at least until the items pictured in it become habitual.

And the second system? Well, we began using was a Daily Rhythm chart. My intent was to make this a pocket chart thing, too. But, I didn’t have a third pocket chart. So, to preclude an unnecessary purchase, I revamped my idea.

Nina and I quartered a stack of those calendar magnets that many businesses send out at the start of the year, and taped the pieces on to the back of some Daily Rhythm cards I had made and “laminated”. We, then, put these cards on the top door our fridge in four columns – one for morning, one for afternoon, one for evening and one for night, with extra cards for sometimes-activities hanging on the bottom door of the fridge.

Since then, the kids have usually been excited to move a little magnet from card to card as we progress through each day. Granted, Nina sometimes enjoys simply taking the cards down and rearranging them just as much as actually leaving them in order and moving the magnet. And, Luke likes to jump ahead many cards to things like “rough play” or “free play” and, also, to sneak a “play” card in there after “wind-down” time. (Our boy!) But, all in all, the system is helping us.

Since putting the Daily Rhythm cards on the fridge, I have noted Luke and Nina paying more attention to what we actually do each day, looking forward to activities and events that lay ahead on particular days and, yes, even reminding me when I need to stop something I have become embroiled in so that I can help them move onto their next little chunk of the day. As such, our Daily Rhythm fridge chart, has helped the kids see the big picture of the day, while making me realize how easy it is for me to get caught up in one small part of it. I have realized that while they move naturally (with a reminder here and there) throughout the day, I -- too often -- throw our rhythm off, by getting lost in mind-and-task meanderings too long. So, the kids’ chart is proving fruitful not only for them, but for me.

As the saying goes, “Everything I need, I learned in Kindergarten”. Almost any good kindergarten has visual schedules to help teachers and children with routines. I am glad Jammies School finally does, too. I encourage others to employ similar techniques. If you have, please share your systems, successes and stories.  Leave a comment telling us all about it below.

And, if you would like to use our Wake-Up Time or Daily Rhythm cards as a starting point for your own, feel free to leave a comment or email us with a request.  We'd be happy to send you our computer files for them.  (I haven't learned yet how to upload them onto the blog so you can simply download them.  If you know how, do share!)  Or, I think, you can just click on the graphics and you will get enlargements you could print as is.

Have a blessed - and in-rhythm- day!