Establishing a New Daily Routine

Our daily routine has been totally disrupted from whatever normalcy we once knew. We long for our “normal days” however; we now have a new normalcy. What new roles have you taken on or how has your family routine been adjusted? Have you been able to establish a new daily routine or is it still non-existent in your household?

Expectations

We now have a new normalcy than what we knew before. Kids are at home and parents are facilitating school work. Parents are out of work, juggling work with home life or still working as an essential worker. We don’t know how long this is going to last and it is easy to dwell on all the scenarios that we cannot control. Try to focus on those things we can control along with setting the expectation of what happens next in our daily routine.

Keep a routine

To help your family cope with these significant disruptions, consider creating a routine. Providing some consistency for your children and yourself is especially important during this time to help balance all the demands and get you through the days. The dependability of knowing what to expect next helps both children and adults thrive one day at a time. Involve your children and family in planning for the daily routine.  When family members feel they have some control, it helps them cope better with the changes.

A balance of structured and unstructured time is ideal. Try setting a schedule for getting up, having meals and snacks, doing school work and completing chores. Make sure you get up and get dressed for the day. That puts you in the right frame of mind.  Allow time for school work and then time to play.  Remember to include family fun time to do a puzzle, play games or watch a movie together.

You may find you and your family are on the computer much more than ever now. Consider how you can limit social media or reading the news particularly if it is making you or your family members feel anxious and upset.

You may need to make extra time for physical activity. Include gross motor activities to encourage both physical and mental well-being. Maybe that includes a time for a walk, family bike ride, flying a kite, playing outdoors or exercising in the living room with a YouTube family friendly workout.

End the day with regular bed-time routines. Restricting screen time one hour before sleep is important for the brain to shut down. How does your family relax at the end of the day? Activities such as bath time, reading books, singing lullabies and recounting the day’s activities are calming.

Household chores

Household chores have probably increased since everyone is at home now, so include chores as part of the routine.  Use this as an opportunity to encourage learning daily living skills. Remember that children need age appropriate chores and they may need you to demonstrate those skills so they understand expectations on what needs to be accomplished. Offering praise reinforces what you are teaching and more importantly, the chance for success.

Social Media

We often turn to social media to connect with friends and family. We tend to think that scrolling through social media is seen as a way of relaxing. However, social media and the constant exposure to the COVID-19 news can cause stress, fear and worry. All that can lead to being irritable, unable to concentrate and focus, unhealthy eating and even the inability to sleep. This may be the hardest part to balance in establishing a new daily routine.

Self-Care

Juggling the demands of managing the household, working remotely, lack of employment, facilitating school work, etc. creates fatigue. Include some type of self-care as part of your daily routine to help you cope with your increased stress. Is it time alone to exercise, listen to music, read a book for pleasure or engage in a hobby or activity that helps you feel better. Some days this may seem impossible, but alone time may be needed by each member of your family.

Social Connection and Support

We are all missing our friends and family; isolation and loneliness may overwhelm you. Have an accountability friend that you check in with. Arrange virtual play dates with your children and their friends using the video conferencing platforms.

Stress

Everyone in your family is experiencing some level of stress. With children, watch for behavioral issues or acting out more than normal. Being gracious with yourself and your family may be helpful. Mainly, try to be patient and realistic as you and your family establish a new daily routine. Things will not be perfect, particularly when things are changing day-to-day so quickly.