Benefits of Routine in Early Childhood
- The Green Elephant
- Apr 28, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 1
In a rush? Here's a quick rundown.
Predictable routines reduce anxiety in children — when they know what to expect, they feel more secure, confident, and free to explore the world around them.
Routines empower children to make decisions within a safe structure — "Would you like your food in a bowl or a plate?" gives choice without overwhelming them.
Consistent daily rhythms help build healthy habits, stronger family relationships, and smoother transitions between activities.
Parents benefit too — routines increase family efficiency, reduce daily stress, and help you feel more confident that you're meeting your family's needs.
The importance of routines within the early years of children's lives cannot be emphasised enough. Not only does the predictability of routine reduce anxiety, but it also empowers children to be decision-makers within their daily experiences.
Routines benefit the whole family — helping children feel secure while giving parents the structure they need to manage the demands of daily life. In this guide, we'll explore how routines can transform your family dynamic and support your child's development.
Why Routine Matters for Children
The uncertainty and instability that a lack of routine creates is naturally stressful — for all of us, including young children.
Think of it like this: you wake up at a different time each day. Sometimes you have time for a coffee, other days you're rushing out the door. You didn't organise your lunch the night before, so you must stop on the way to work, making you later than usual. Think about the knock-on effect this has on your mood for the rest of the morning.
Children are no different. They can feel just as stressed, rushed, and uncertain when their routine is not consistent or predictable.
Security and Confidence
Imagine the security and sense of belonging that a consistent and predictable routine can instil. It cannot be underestimated just how beneficial routine is to young children's development.
When routines are consistent, children:
Feel more confident in their environment
Aren't distracted by the worry of what's coming next
Feel freer to explore the world around them
Know what to anticipate in the rest of their day
Are better able to regulate their emotions
This sense of security provides the foundation for all other learning and development.
How Routines Benefit Children
Beyond reducing anxiety, routines offer numerous developmental benefits for young children.
Building Healthy Habits
Make a plan as a family focusing on the habits you'd like to create that will benefit everyone. For some families, this might be a visual routine displayed on the fridge. For others, it's a simple conversation where everyone agrees to their responsibilities.
Consistent routines help children develop healthy habits around:
Sleep and rest
Mealtimes and nutrition
Personal hygiene (teeth brushing, hand washing)
Tidying up and caring for belongings
Transitions between activities
When these habits become routine, they require less negotiation and resistance — they're simply "what we do."
Stronger Family Relationships
Structuring your routine around nap times or homework time for older siblings ensures that quality time can be spent together as a family.
Life will often pull you in all different directions. As simple as it may sound, setting a time for dinner each day where all family members can come together really can benefit the quality of your relationships.
Without routine and expectation, marrying everyone's schedules becomes near impossible in the moment.
Empowering Children Through Choice
A common misconception is that routine means being told what to do. In fact, good routines give children freedom to choose within a structure — empowering them and helping them regulate their emotions.
The key is providing bounded choices:
Instead of overwhelming children with unlimited options, routine provides structure while still offering power and agency.
"It's time for lunch now. Would you like your food in a bowl or on a plate?"
"Would you like to play outside or inside?"
"It's bath time. Do you want bubbles or no bubbles tonight?"
This gives children the understanding of what's expected, whilst still providing them the power to have choice. The structure prevents overwhelm while the choices build independence and decision-making skills.
Benefits of Routine for Parents
Routine is not only important for your child, but for your wellbeing too. After all, you can't juggle everything that parenting young children demands if you yourself don't feel secure and empowered within your daily life.
Increases Family Efficiency
When you know what to expect within your daily routine, not only does life feel more manageable, but it also means you're more adaptable to those unpredictable curveballs that life throws your way.
A nappy explosion on the way out the door seems far less catastrophic when the rest of your morning has unfolded predictably. Set yourself (and your family) up to succeed — so when life's little dramas do occur, they're exactly that: a little drama rather than another thing on top of a pile of stress.
Reduces Daily Stress
A life without stress seems pretty impossible when young children are involved, right? Even if you manage to get out the door without drama, the stress of expectation and worry that comes with parenting is always apparent.
That's why embedding "you" moments of relaxation and self-care into your daily routine is essential to combating the burden of stress. And there's no right or wrong way to do this.
Self-care might look like:
Mindfulness podcasts and stretches
Simply sipping a cup of tea uninterrupted before the day begins
15 minutes reading before bed
5 minutes scrolling through the news in the morning
The key is to commit to it and prioritise it as much as you do packing lunch boxes or showering. Your wellbeing is essential and should be on the must-do list alongside everything else.
Builds Confidence in Your Parenting
Forgetting your child's bag for daycare, or to pack that extra layer of clothing, can make you feel like a failure. In the grand scheme of things, these small moments don't define you as a parent — but in the moment, you can feel like nothing you do is good enough.
Routine is the key to combating these moments. Planning and preparation are key components of any good routine and serve as your safety net for catching these shortcomings before they occur. As a result, you're left feeling reassured that you and your parenting are enough.
Routines at Different Ages
Routines need to be adaptable to suit the needs of individual children at different developmental stages.
Nursery (0-2 Years)
At this young age, most children are still on their individual routines, often napping twice a day or more, with their own typical time of falling asleep.
What works for babies:
Meal and sleep times adaptable to individual needs
Flexibility to support rest and nourishment when needed
Learning experiences offered throughout the day so rest doesn't disrupt access to learning
Consistency within flexibility — same sequence of events even if timing varies
Toddler (2-3 Years)
Children at this stage thrive on a more guided routine. This isn't because toddlers need to be told what to do — giving them freedom to choose empowers them and can heighten their ability to regulate emotions.
What works for toddlers:
Structure so children aren't overwhelmed by choice
Clear expectations with bounded choices built in
Predictable sequence of daily events
Opportunities for independence within the routine
Preschool (3-5 Years)
As children get older, they still require the expectation and comfort that routine brings. However, they should be empowered with more control over the "what" of their daily routines.
What works for preschoolers:
Lots of opportunity for free play
Chance to take the lead in self-help skills
Contributing to preparation (like setting up morning snack)
Resourcing their own materials for creative work
Freedom to transition between activities independently
Making Routines Work for Your Family
Every family is different, and routines should reflect your unique situation and values.
Tips for building effective routines:
Start small — don't try to overhaul everything at once
Involve the whole family in creating the routine
Use visual schedules for young children who can't read yet
Be consistent but flexible — routines should serve you, not stress you
Review and adjust as your family's needs change
Build in buffer time for the unexpected
Remember, the goal of routine is to create security and reduce stress — not to add more pressure to your day.
FAQ
Why are routines important for young children?
Routines reduce anxiety by helping children know what to expect. When children feel secure about what's coming next, they're more confident, less worried, and freer to explore and learn. Predictable routines provide the foundation for healthy development.
Won't too much routine stifle my child's creativity and independence?
Actually, the opposite is true. Good routines provide structure that prevents children from feeling overwhelmed, while still offering choices within that structure. When children aren't anxious about "what's next," they have more mental space for creativity and exploration. The key is offering bounded choices within the routine.
How do I create a routine that works for my family?
Start small and involve the whole family. Focus on the habits you'd like to create, use visual schedules for young children, and be consistent but flexible. Remember that routines should reduce stress, not add to it. Review and adjust as your family's needs change.
Should babies have routines too?
Yes, but routines for babies should be flexible and follow their individual needs. Most babies have their own sleep patterns and feeding times. The routine provides a predictable sequence of events (feed, play, sleep) even if the exact timing varies day to day.
How can I make routines work when life is unpredictable?
When you have a solid routine in place, you're actually more adaptable to unexpected events. A nappy explosion feels less catastrophic when the rest of your morning ran smoothly. Build buffer time into your routine, and remember that occasional disruptions don't undo the benefits of overall consistency.
See Our Routines in Action
Book a tour and discover how The Green Elephant creates consistent, nurturing routines that help children feel secure, confident, and ready to learn.
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