5 Reasons Why You Need Steady Routines

In my book, Steady Days, I describe what I call a Steady Routine--a flexible plan for part or all of your day. When my children were younger, and even now, I've found that having routines has benefited our family in many ways.

For this post I'm honored to team up with Mandi at Organizing Your Way, who is giving valuable tips today on how to add helpful routines to your life. I'd like to share the benefits of implementing routines.

So here are five reasons why adding routines to your day will make you a more effective parent:

1. Routines allow you to go on emotional "autopilot" as a mother.

When you don't have to answer a myriad of questions (from your kids or yourself), you're able to conserve energy. This energy is what you can save to use for the unexpected of life that inevitably happens with children in the home (sick kids, sleepless nights, a blowout diaper, you name it!).

2. Routines provide security for your children.

Kids love a flexible (not rigid) routine. It brings a sense of control to their little worlds when they know what to expect and what comes next. There are no sudden "surprises" that spring up on them--just a calm, comforting order to their day.

3. An effective routine ensures that what's important actually gets done.

This applies to both fun ideas you wish you could make time for as well as the daily grind of chores that keep a house running.

  Photo by ccarlstead

For example, I might not always get around to baking with my children. But because I know (& my kids know!) that Tuesday is Baking Day, there's no way it will be skipped or missed unless we have a very good reason.

By planning for it, I've made it a priority.

4. Flexible routines usher a steady rhythm into your day.

There's a cycle to nature, seasons, and each rise and fall of the sun. Different seasons come into our homes and lives as well, and when we intentionally take the time to plan for them, we reap the rewards of knowing that we've made the most of the moments we've been given.

It feels good to be in tune and know that the choices we're making are the ones we've mindfully chosen.

5. Having a routine relieves stress.

What a mental release to know that the important things have been covered!

If my email inbox is full, I can still play with my children with mindful intention because I know that I have ample time planned later to sort out the emails.

This eliminates scrambling to put out the "fires" of life as they happen--instead you've placed a focus on what you need to do with your time. And that brings peace of mind.

Remember that having a routine doesn't mean that every minute of the day must be rigidly scheduled--far from it. Flexibility matters when considering what needs to be done and when.

No matter what your personality type, you can find a way to make routines work for your family and reap amazing benefits, beginning today.

And if you need a little help getting started, be sure to check out Mandi's post and amazing blog, Organizing Your Way.

Do you have routines in your home? What have you found to be the main benefits?