• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • Free Resource Library (Subscribe for Password!)
    • Must-Reads for Parents and Teachers
    • Children’s Books
  • About
    • About Jean
    • About Montessori
  • Contact Jean

Jean Kermode

Montessori Consulting

September 29, 2018

How to Create a Routine Book to Help You Stick to Your Child’s Routines (With Free Printable Template)

Struggling to stick to your kid’s routine? This simple, DIY routing book involves your child in setting and following family routines. Consider making one or two for your preschool or kindergarten classroom, as well!

image of a binder with the words "my routine book" and "stick to your child's routines with a routine book, print your free template jean kermode.com"

pin me!

Making a routine is one thing. Sticking to it is another altogether.

It’s easy to get sidetracked during your child’s daily routine, especially when a thousand distractions are hurled at you from the kid’s themselves.

And while the beauty of a routine vs. a schedule is that it is flexible, there’s still a trick or two you can use to help your kids and students follow their routines with less fuss.

Enlist your child to help you make a routine book!

I first heard of this idea during a Montessori seminar. A mother was asking for help with her bedtime routine. A suggestions was offered: make a routine book for the child. In the book, list each step, e.g. brush teeth, ask one last question, etc. And the last step? Wake up in the morning!

The idea is that by creating her very own routine book, the child will understand better what is expected of her. (This is half the battle.) Plus, an illustrated book is the perfect reference for you as a parent or teacher to point her to when you are reaching the end of your patience and starting to veer from the routine yourself.

Related: How to Create a Simple Routine for Preschoolers

How to Create a Routine Book for Kids

Here’s how to make a simple routine book:

1. Include your child in listing the steps of the routine on a sheet of paper.

By involving your child, you encourage her to feel a sense of pride as she later follows the steps she helped to write down.

Keep it simple, listing the most important steps. For example, the steps to a lunch time routine might look this like:

  1. I wash my hands.
  2. One at a time, I carry plates, forks, cups, and napkins to the table.
  3. I sit at the table and wait for mom to bring the food over.
  4. I enjoy lunch!
  5. When I am done eating, and I am excused, I get up and carry my dishes one at a time to the sink.
  6. I check to make sure my chair is pushed in.
  7. I clean up any crumbs or spills I see at my place.
  8. I wash my hands and check my face in the mirror to see if it needs to be wiped.
  9. I go play!

If that’s too many steps, you can simplify further.

It’s helpful to keep the steps positive, e.g. “When I am done eating, I get up.” vs. “I don’t get up and play during lunch.”

Ending on a happy note can encourage your child to go through all the steps to get to that last fun step. This is especially helpful with the bedtime routine. The last step isn’t: “Mom turns off the light and leaves the room.” It’s: “I wake up in the morning and start a new day!”

2. Print your free routine book template from my library here, or make your own.

Print as many of the middle pages as you need to for your particular routine. (The template includes a cover page, a “first” page, a “then” page, and a “lastly” page. Print as many of the “then” pages as needed.)

3. List each step of the routine on a separate page, and illustrate.

If your child is old enough, he can write the steps. If not, he can draw accompanying pictures to each step.

These pictures can help your child remember the steps. For example, he can draw a picture of each thing he needs to bring to the table at lunch time.

I recommend using a blank page for each illustration. When you set up the book, you can put the picture on the left of the spread, and the written steps on the right.

4. Invite your child to decorate the cover page.

The more the child participates in making this book, the more likely she will be to want to use it later. Let her decorate it how she likes, using the tools that you give her. (e.g. crayons, markers, etc.) If she can’t yet read, encourage her to include a picture that will help her remember which routine this book is for. You can help to write her name on the front if she can’t do it herself.

5. Assemble the book.

You can use a binder, putting each page in a sheet protector, or just simply use a three-hole-punch and some ribbon to bind the book.

6. Read the book with your child.

Read it once together after you have finished making the book. Then, read it again the next time you need to transition to that routine. For example, the next time you are about to make lunch, get out the lunch time routine book and read it together before you start lunch. You can repeat this as many days as you need to, but it may be enough to let your child look at the pictures by himself next time. Eventually, your child will learn the routine and won’t need to look at his book each time. Just find a convenient home for it so it’s there for reference if/when the routine starts falling apart again.

7. Make as many routine books as needed!

You might not need a book for every routine. (That could actually get a little out of hand…) But, when there is a particular routine that you are struggling with or just trying to get down pat, make a routine book with your child!

Here are some routines that might benefit from a helpful bookl:

  • morning
  • snack time
  • lunch time
  • cleaning up toys
  • various chores
  • getting home from school
  • dinner time
  • bed time

Does A Routine Book Help For Multiple Children or a Classroom?

Of course! Be as creative as you need to be. You can let each child illustrate one page. You can make a routine book for each chore, and assign each child to one chore.

aqua background with the words, "how to create a routine book to help your child stick to routines free template included jean kermode.com

What are your tips for sticking to routines as a class or a family? Share them with us in the comments!

Jean Marie

Print your free routine book template from my resource library below!

free montessori printables

you may also like...

  • Why These 26 Montessori Myths Are Just MythsWhy These 26 Montessori Myths Are Just Myths
  • Practical Life is the Foundation of Montessori: Why Do We Rush It?Practical Life is the Foundation of Montessori: Why Do We Rush It?
  • DIY Reading NookDIY Reading Nook
  • How to Create a Simple Routine for PreschoolersHow to Create a Simple Routine for Preschoolers

Filed Under: Montessori Homeschooling, Montessori Materials and Recommendations, Montessori Tips

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Interested in Montessori? Get your free call at jeankermode.com

connect for more Montessori:

  • Pinterest

Categories

  • Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
  • Montessori Homeschooling
  • Montessori Materials and Recommendations
  • Montessori Philosophy
  • Montessori Tips
  • services

Copyright

You are more than welcome to share from this site. All images and text on this site are property of Jean Kermode. When sharing, you may use one or two photos provided that a link back to my original post is included. Do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. All free printables offered are for personal use only. Pinning is always appreciated! Thank you!

Policies and Disclosures

This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Read my full privacy policy and disclosures →

Read my terms and conditions →

Footer

For details about the information you give us through comments forms, etc., please see here.

Copyright© 2023 · Brunch Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.