Routine is Key!

William thrives on routine. He does great with school because it’s part of his regular routine. Unstructured downtime is not necessarily a good thing. He wants to know what he should be doing, and what’s coming up next. Saturdays are sometimes our most difficult days because there is rarely structure or normalcy to them.

If he is tired, even his rest time needs structure. Typically it will mean he can lie on his bed and play a Leapster game, listen to music, or look at books. Or he will be allowed to sit on the sofa and watch a 30-minute show. Right now he likes Bibleman, Batman, or Superman… yes, we live in a superhero world!

Small tasks help a lot. If we’re folding laundry, he helps put his clothes away. When I’m cleaning the bathrooms, he wipes down the sinks and counters. If I’m cooking dinner, he stands on the step stool and helps me (I’ve also learned that this gets him to try new foods more willingly!) During a lot of these things, we’ll talk about the names of items, count things, or discuss the letters that they start with.

We also have to make sure and give him outlets to let off steam throughout the day. He has recess at school each morning and loves it. And when he and daddy get home in the afternoons, they typically spend some time outside. In the evenings, we do things like sock races on the wood floors, “shake your booty” time dancing and being silly with music, or tickle wars.

Our latest way to help with attitude and tasks is his Star Chart. He earns a star each time he brushes his teeth without fussing, makes his bed, helps clean the house, and cleans his plate (again, without complaining or incident). He can also earn stars when he does special tasks or if he is just especially good. For instance, on Thursday his teacher reported that he was very good and even helped clean up without being asked. He loves his star chart and counts his stars numerous times each day, knowing that 50 stars means a trip to Mickey D’s. I have to say, I wish I’d thought to do this sooner because it’s working like a charm!