BUILDING SECURITY AND SCHOOL READINESS: How Establishing Routines Helps in Early Childhood

During the early years of a child’s life, they are learning everything for the very first time — how to eat, sleep, play, relate to others, and understand how the world around them works. During all this new learning, creating and understanding routines is a way to help young children develop a sense of security. Especially for kids under the age of 5, establishing regular routines is more than just helpful for knowing what happens next, it’s also foundational to emotional well-being, behavioral growth and future learning success.

Why Routines are Important

Routines create a sense of security.

Even in their own homes, when young children begin to recognize what may happen in the next moment, they feel safer. Establishing routines that help them predict what to expect, helps them understand their environments better. Predictability reduces stress, which may also better avoid meltdowns that can happen when they feel uncertain, or their surroundings feel chaotic. Whether routines help them to know that a bedtime story comes before the lights go out for healthier sleep habits, or that lunch is followed by some playtime outside, routines can offer some comfort that also helps the day run a little smoother.

Routines support emotional and behavioral health.

Young children aren’t always great at appropriately expressing their emotions — it’s part of being a kid! They may scream when they’re frustrated or cry when they’re scared instead of saying what they’re feeling or asking for help. Often, they show their feelings through behavior. Establishing consistent routines helps to regulate behaviors by providing clear boundaries and expectations for different situations.

For example, a regular bedtime routine may help a child wind down physically and emotionally at the same time every night when they know that a bath is always followed by cuddling and reading a book with a parent. Knowing that bathtime signals the winding down of their busy day can help their mind and body relax more, improving both their mood and sleep.

When routines are consistent, children feel more in control of their own surroundings, which also reduces power struggles. When they know what’s next, they will become less surprised if they need to be reminded of what is expected. Over time, routines become habits that shape how young children approach changes, or transitions, throughout their days. Forming different habits helps them learn self-care and appropriate interactions with others. 

Routines encourage independence.

Important daily routines — getting dressed, brushing teeth, washing hands, and picking up after themselves — allows young children to practice self-help skills and responsibility. With enough repetition, kids learn to take pride in doing things “all by myself!” Simple steps within routines builds their self-confidence and independence while also providing hands-on lessons in the order of getting tasks done and memory. Children learn to believe in their own abilities by practicing. It is also ok if they get the process wrong a few times before they get it right…even adults sometimes need practice to get things right! 

Routines prepare young children for school.

School-age children are expected to follow group routines and daily schedules. In preschool and kindergarten, classrooms begin building routines from the moment kids enter their school buildings, putting their coats and bags in a special spot and finding their desk or something to do, and throughout the day until it’s time to go home. 

Creating routines at home, both before and after school, can help them continue to practice. Simple activities like cleaning up after playtime or sitting down together for family meals can help them transition more smoothly between classroom and home settings. Routines also improve attention spans and cooperation, key behaviors that are important for school readiness. 

Tips for Creating Helpful Everyday Routines

Building routine doesn’t mean scheduling every minute of the day. Creating consistency can be simply creating patterns that your child can recognize. Here are a few ways to create some routines for young children:

In the morning:

Try starting each day with a few regular activities. Keep it simple and appropriate for your child’s age:

• Try waking up at the same time each day and pointing to the number on a bedroom clock so they begin to recognize the wake-up hour.

• Create a visual chart that shows what comes next after waking up. For example: use the potty, brush their teeth/hair, get dressed, and eat breakfast. 

• Give your child some choices so they can take pride in decision making. Example: “Do you want to wear the red shirt or green shirt?” “Do you want to wear your boots or your sneakers?”
  

Leaving the house:

Getting kids out the door can be quite the task — this is a big transition for little minds, so try to give it some time and help them feel involved with tasks involved with getting out the door:

• Let them help you pack bags or lunches the night before.

• Create an area by the door with shoes, coats, and backpacks that leave with you.

• Provide a countdown of time until everyone needs to be out the door, “Five minutes until we leave!” They may not understand time yet, but they’ll begin to make the connection that it’s time to put toys away and get ready to go.

• Be sure to acknowledge when things go smoothly: “Good job getting your shoes on so fast today! That’s a big help!”
  

Mealtimes:

Eating together as a family is a great way to establish routine and connect daily with loved ones.

• Take this time to teach table manners and conversation skills (use their napkin to wipe their hands and face, try not to interrupt others while they’re talking, staying seated while eating, etc.)

• Encourage kids to try new foods in a safe environment.

• Reinforce structure — help set the table, stay in your seat until the meal is over, help carry dishes to the kitchen sink, etc.

• Let children help with simple meal preparation tasks: stirring food, washing fruits and veggies, setting the table with napkins and utensils (save the knives for the adults!)
  

Bedtime routines:

Creating calm evening signals to young kids that it’s time to rest their minds and bodies. Consider quiet activities to help them wind down:

• Have bathes around the same time in the evening

• Change into pajamas and brush teeth

• Read one or two books and sing a quiet song

• Give hugs and turn the lights out
  

Consistency Builds a Sense of Safety and Confidence

Creating routines doesn’t mean having a strict schedule — it creates a rhythm for guiding your family through the day. For young children, these rhythms build an emotional and behavioral foundation that helps them feel safe to express themselves and grow into confident learners. While every family’s routine will look different, the goal is similar: to help kids feel safe, connected, and confident to explore the world.

 school readiness routines early childhood child