Setting up effective routines – From micro-routine to macro-routine

Your kids, freed from the stress of tight schedules and the fatigue built up over the school year, are generally more available and receptive to change; without the morning rush to school and the evenings packed with homework, they finally have the time and energy to invest in learning new responsibilities and taking an active part in family life.

Summer also gives you a luxury that's usually rare during the school year: time in the morning! These precious extra hours let you not only introduce new routines gradually and without rushing, but also coach your kids hands-on as they learn.

Finally, the effort you put into establishing these new family habits during the vacation will surely pay off throughout the year. Routines firmly anchored during the nice season will become precious habits that make daily life much easier once school starts again, creating lasting family harmony and a better distribution of household responsibilities.

The concept: from micro-routine to macro-routine

Start one step at a time

Take advantage of the extra time you have to break each little daily routine down into micro-steps, which will support lasting learning and the development of independence, a precious asset in family life.

Concrete example: Brushing teeth

1. I wet my toothbrush and turn off the tap.
2. I put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on my toothbrush.
3. I brush my top teeth, then my bottom teeth.
4. I rinse my mouth and spit in the sink.
5. I rinse my toothbrush.
6. I make sure I leave the area clean.

Take the time to repeat this process for every routine your child needs to learn, to make sure you don't forget a single step!

Add a new step when your child is ready

You already know this: every child develops at their own pace, and the same goes for learning the little daily routines. So it's important not to rush to add a step without first making sure your child has absorbed the previous one. Even if a micro-step seems easy to you, it has to be completely mastered before a new one is added to the routine, otherwise your child could easily get discouraged by the size of the task. Be patient and persevere: everything you ask of your child is new to them and takes time and a lot of effort, so be sure to keep that in mind!

The end goal: the macro-routine

Is the routine now modelled from start to finish, and does your child have every one of the micro-steps down perfectly? It's time to move on to the macro-routine: instead of giving your little one a reminder for each step that makes up the toothbrushing routine or the morning routine, set up a single general reminder: “do your routine.” At this stage, each of the countless micro-steps that make up a daily routine has been absorbed by your child, so they carry them out automatically and independently, just like when you, as an adult, make your morning coffee or drive your car!

For guaranteed success

To make sure your child successfully learns new routines, remember to consider the following points:

• Take advantage of the summer pace: kids who are less rushed and less tired are definitely a major success factor when it comes to building new habits!
• Invest the time it takes: a new habit takes time to become fully ingrained, so be patient throughout the process and your perseverance will surely be rewarded!
• Avoid rushing: whether you're an adult or a child, it's much harder to be open and cooperative when you feel pressured or rushed while learning and building new habits. Once again, take advantage of the nice days and the time you've been given to leave the space your kids need to adopt lasting habits.

Ready to make the most of summer to streamline your daily life and build your little ones' independence? Discover all our tools and check out our special feature, valuable allies in your success!