A good routine helps to make up the foundations of any harmonious family setting. Not only does it offer a sense of security, but also provides us with a way in which to get things done! Read Why Is Routine Important For Kids?
Young children often become fearful of the unknown, whether it be a new veggie to try or even moving to another country. Change can be a very stressful occurrence for a young child. A stable routine brings welcome comfort in the form of consistency and expected behaviors.
How do we promote routine at Caterpillar?
A solid routine is not only important at home, but also at nursery. Each group of children within our care has a basic schedule that has been designed according to age, in order to meet the specific requirements of each individual age group.
The schedules include breakfast and lunch time – at Caterpillar, we believe in the importance of mealtimes as a gateway for socialization and exploration – nap-times for those that require it, story and relaxation time , as well as periods of uninterrupted and varied play and activity times.
Whilst some of the minor details may change, such as the topic of exploration or the specific area of development we are aiming to promote, events such as mealtimes and nap-times will stay the same. This also enables the children to be able to predict time-based events in their lives. For example, every morning, the children listen to a story before having their breakfast.
In time, the children will come to be aware of the re-occurrence of the story before breakfast, and will then eventually be aware of exactly what is going to happen next, once the story finishes. As well as providing a sense of security and familiarity for young children, a good routine helps to encourage desired behaviors amongst young children. When children are content in their surroundings by being made to feel as comfortable as possible, they are less likely to display unwanted behavior.
At Caterpillar, we recognize parents as the child’s first and most important educator.
By working together, we are able to make sure both the routine at home and the nursery can mimic each other as closely as possible, promoting a routine of peaceful environment and vastly reducing the settling period at nursery.
