This continues my series regarding my experience working with a parenting coach together with my boyfriend. My first post was about keeping structure and a routine in place for your children and can be found here. Routines are a necessity for all children as it helps teach them discipline, but they are especially important for kids whose lives have been upturned by divorce.  After my first session with the parenting coach, I made charts for the children to use to help them follow their morning and evening routines. Finding free clip art makes the charts more fun and usable even for young children who do not read.  You can even have the kids help you make them. Post them somewhere that everyone can see as a reminder of what is expected.
It’s also important to stick to them. Â If the daily tasks become an option instead of a requirement, kids are usually not going to follow the charts. Â They are going to choose to do their own thing which may or may not be part of their daily tasks. Â Set the standard now and stick to it. Â This is a teaching moment to help your kids understand what it means to be responsible for themselves, to be disciplined, and to follow through. Â In the long run, this will always benefit your children, and we only want what’s best for them.
While these charts are simple, children enjoy the structure of following along with each step and knowing exactly what is expected of them. Feel free to use the templates below to create charts for your own family! Most of us have relaxed schedules during the summer; however, if you didn’t have an established routine last school year, now is a good time to slowly implement some structure.  This will help your transition back into school a much less stressful one, because your children know what is expected of them every morning and evening regardless of the time of year.
 Morning Routine |  Evening Routine |
