If you have read any of my other posts, you know by now that I have a child with special needs, and therefore require copious amounts of both patience, and organization. These, to me, are a lot like bread and butter…. one is pointless without the other.
As the parent of a child with autism, I have become accustomed to a certain amount of regulation in our day to day activities, and I am a firm believer that all children would benefit from a regulated routine to their day. This is something we start when our children are infants, but kind of falls by the wayside as our infants grow into toddlers , and then pre-schoolers. Not only is establishing a solid routine beneficial, but allowing the children to visualize and participate in the routine promotes feelings of comfort ( knowing what is coming next), and self reliance. This is something that is easy to do, and makes the day run a little more smoothly.
With small children, the key is to take pictures of what is going to happen in their day and mount them in sequence, where the child has access to them. As the task is completed, the child would remove the picture from the sequence, and view what is happening next. If this sounds like to much to do for a busy parent, there is always the option of puchasing a product that falls along similar lines. One we have available at the store is “Easy Daysies Magnetic Fold and Go Calendar”. It is portable, and has different “kits” to purchase, so you can personalize your routine. With older children ( 3+) , there are plenty of products available to help in this endeavour. I am fond of the ”2 Fish Kids” magnetic calendar. It allows Aidan, (my son) to see what is going on for that week. It has 58 different magnets ( useful ones too!!! ) that allow us to schedule the week together on Sunday morning, that way he knows what is happening all week. Also popular are the “Melissa and Doug” monthly calendar, which allows you to schedule the whole month, and their “Magnetic Responsibility Chart”, which shows kids what needs to be done for the day, and rewards them for doing it!!!
I applaud any product on the market that makes my life just a little bit easier, and these are a few. Less questions, less tantrums, less frustation!!! And a little more time for me! ( HA HA HA)…..
