We moms have crazy lives. Whether we work from home or away, we always seem to be in a rush, and we’re always dissatisfied with what we or our kids are doing. The only way to maintain some semblance of sanity is to get our lives into any kind of routine. Getting our adult lives set to a timetable is hard enough, how do we manage stubborn little kids? The answer – routine charts!

 Several studies conducted all over the world claim that a routine brings stability into a child’s life. Growing up is tough and unpredictable, so having a solid routine everyday reinforces a sense of security and familiarity for a young child. Adding structure to a day also helps her learn some basic time management skills and when her everyday activities are in place, she’ll be in a much better mood to get involved in fun stuff.

 There’s also the added advantage of fostering independence at an early age. So even if Mommy falls sick and Daddy seems clueless, his little man knows exactly what to do!! This also works if a child is in a new place; sticking to his old routine will ease his uneasiness and help him get into the groove quickly.

 Before setting out to make a chart, be sure to consider your child’s basic activities and think of the best daily routine your child can have. Don’t put too many things on the chart, or she’ll get overwhelmed. Stick to the must-do items, the rest will fall in place eventually. If you’re lost, start with bedtime, wake up time, school and meal times. This is also a great way to establish good habits for children.

You can fit a whole day’s routine in a single chart if it’s small, or go for separate charts for Morning, After School and Bedtime.

Here are some awesome DIY charts you can make using different techniques.

6 DAILY ROUTINE CHARTS FOR KIDS

1. Go Basic

The easiest DIY chart you can make is to download a printable and laminate it. Then you can hang it, or just place it on a desk and use washable markers to tick each task as it gets done. Download this really cute chart from I heart Organizing.

2. Go Board

If you have a whiteboard or a blackboard, then all you need to do is draw a table on it and tick as you go!! Check out the one done by One Fun Mom.

The advantage is that it involves zero expense and is easily modifiable. But it can be difficult for non-readers and could pose a problem when you need the board for something else.

 3. Go Flip

 Urge to Organize has these innovative flip style routine cards. They’re basically laminated paper, but fixed on command hooks. Flip the cards over for a bedtime routine or you can make them read ‘Done’ on the other side.

 4. Go Stickers

This idea from for younger kids, who probably find it more fun to stick stickers for every accomplished task. The only problem here is that you’ll need to print out a new chart every week and need LOADS of stickers :-).

5. Go Magnetic

There are two ways to go magnetic. One way is by using a combination of cardstock and magnetic strips,

The other project is using baking sheets, done beautifully. It does take a little more effort and raw material, but the end effect is just superb!!

6. Go Velcro

Another really professional-looking routine chart is the one at Creek Side Learning,which makes smart use of little Velcro dots. This is probably the most difficult routine chart to make in this list, but you can try to take it up as a holiday project in preparation for the next year or school year :-).