Preschoolers and a consistent routine

[momee]

I am not a very consistent parent and am dedicated to working on that.

 

Would you be willing to share your preschoolers' routines? Thanks.

 

Also, do you have visual clues/reminders at this stage; like brush teeth/wash face type stickers in the bathroom or on the fridge? She's a bright 3yo and we're looking to start building good habits now.

[Entropymama]

Sure. Not sure it will help, but I'll share. :)

 

My 2 year old goes to preschool 3 days per week so we can school in peace. He's busy. He wakes up at 6-6:30 each day and eats breakfast. I clean him up, dress him, make his lunch, get him ready for 'school' and he helps. Then he hangs out and plays (read: makes messes) until daddy takes him to preschool at 9:00.

 

He eats lunch there then comes home around 12. Naptime! He'll sleep until 2 or 3. When he wakes up he eats a snack, then he plays (read: makes messes), usually with the older kids if they're done with schoolwork. They're very good at playing with him and come up with all kinds of games. A lot of it is role-play and he's the dog or the baby or something. (Yes, I know how blessed I am!)

 

I often let him watch a TV show while I make dinner. He likes Thomas the Train. After dinner he gets a bath, pjs and some books. He helps me clean his room and then it's bedtime.

 

This probably isn't the schedule you were looking for - since I dont school him yet - but I hope it helps and it's a bump if nothing else. :)

[Tohru]

We don't have stickers or any visual cue. It's just more of a habit, although cute visual cues would be a great idea for some one starting out.

 

Here is our general daily routine that we follow pretty consistently

 

7-7:30ish Wake

8-8:30ish Breakfast

8:30-11:30 No plans (we're working on trying to do preschool activities, but usually I'm doing school with my ds)

11:30 Lunch

1-2:30/3 Nap

3pm Snack

Freetime/errands

5:30pm Dinner

Freetime

8pm Bath to bed routine, usually asleep by 9pm

 

Evening: bath-brush teeth-pj's-read story-lights out.

Mornings are a little weird. Teeth brushing and getting dressed happens somewhere between breakfast and lunch.

[JenniferLynn]

Our routine revolves around mini-routines and pre-requisites. My kids all have to be dressed before they come downstairs to eat breakfast so they usually get up and get dressed right away. The 5YO makes her bed. After breakfast they clear dishes and we do some schooling. Snacks and meal-times are fairly set at 8 breakfast, 10 am snack, noon lunch, 1pm Quiet Time/TV, 3pm snack. Straightening up, errands, or work they aren't thrilled with is usually done right before snack or TV so they are really motivated to finish up.

[imagine.more]

We keep a routine for the kiddos so I'll share our current schedule, it's flexible but this is what works right now :) I have a 3 year old and an 8 month old.

 

7am I nurse the baby while DH gets 3 year old out of bed and dressed (takes awhile, he's a sleepy head)

 

8am breakfast & clean up & chores (3 year old feeds kitties)

 

9am outside/free play

 

9:30am baby naps, 3 year old roomtime (plays in playroom independently, it's childproofed and has a reasonable amount of toys so not overwhelming).

 

10:30am baby napping, 3 year old school (after doing calendar time in the playroom we move to the kitchen table to do OPGTR, math manipulatives, and art/crafts or play dough

 

11:30am nurse baby, 3 year old watches spanish video

 

12:00pm lunch & clean up

 

12:30pm free play

 

1:30pm storytime

 

2:00pm Naptime for kids

 

4:00pm nurse baby, 3 year old snack

 

4:30pm outside/errands/free play if rainy

 

5:30pm baby in jumper seat, 3 year old watches video while I prep dinner

 

6:00/6:30pm dinner

 

7:00pm nurse baby, baths, pajamas, story, prayers

 

7:30/8:00pm bedtime for kids

[NanceXToo]

We don't do well with 'routines' in this house. We're more of a go with the flow kind of family. The kids go to bed at basically the same time each day, have meals at basically the same time each day, but as for everything in between- we just go with the flow. I've embraced and accepted the fact that that's just what works best for us lol.

 

(In the past I've tried writing out schedules and routines only to find that I would never, ever, stick to them).

[Guest IdahoMtnMom]

Our routine is habitual, for the most part. My kids are 3 and 4.

 

They wake-up and can pop in a Leap Frog DVD of their choice (usually Math Ahoy, Get Ready for School, Letter Factory, or Math to the Moon). They have breakfast when the DVD is over. DS4 sits down at the computer for ABCMouse (in his jammies) and DD3 plays with her toys. I hop in the shower for a moment of peace. I switch them out and DD3 gets on the computer for ABCMouse and DD4 will do a few pages in his workbook while I get ready for the day. Then they brush their teeth and we get them dressed for the day. One of DS's chores is to feed the puppy, so we take her outside and he gets her food. We all play outside for an hour or so... or, this is the time I go into town for any errands I may have.... followed by lunch time (many days, lunch is out at the clubhouse where we work on manners). Story time and naptime is after that. I get the cleaning done and catch up on computer work and emails. When they wake up, we do some workbooks for 20-30 minutes. And then back outside until dinnertime. They get to watch Dora and Diego while I make dinner. Both kids set the table (minus any knives, lol). They bring their dishes to the sink when they are done. Backoutside to play... before we head in for baths, teeth brushing, getting "lotioned up", and "jammied-up", they have to put away all yard toys they used that day... They have to pick up any toys scattered in the house and put them away. They head to their room with a cup of milk, we read a story, and off to bed they go.

 

When we start a slightly formal program in the fall, I am sure things will change up... but the meals, hygeine, errands time, naps, and chores will stay the same!

[Tap]

DD4 does need a bit of a routine. She goes to daycare and dd12 goes to school (during they year-summers are not scheduled) so we have to be out of the house by a certain time each day. School days are the only days that have routine so I will post those. If you are asking more about a 'preschool routine' vs the routine for a 'preschool age child', I put the schools routine in here too.

 

DD4

up at 7am

tv until 7:30 while I am in the shower.

7:30 breakfast

7:45 dressed

8:00-8:15 ready to leave

 

at school:

story time until 9am

9am table time-6 tables with different activities (varies but one will be preschool activities like reading/writing- all kids have to visit each table)

10:30 snack

10:45 free time indoors/outdoors

12:00 lunch

12:30-3:00 rest time (kids who don't take naps can play quietly on their cots for 30 minutes and get up an do quiet work at the tables. This is the time that they work with the more adept kids on advanced writing/reading)

3:00 free play/snack until parents pick up.

She gets picked up sometime after nap. If we pick her up before she won't take a nap at home.

When she gets home, she has free play time. I have tried working on her reading, but she isn't interested. She is very ready, but not interested.

7/8:00 dinner ( I don't get off work until 6:30)

play time until 8:30. Pick-up/bath/pjs.

Bed at 9.

 

 

 

There is no way I could homeschool dd4. She and I just clash way to much. If she gets bored, she is looking for ways to get in trouble. She does great at daycare because there is so much to do.