ChartKidRoutine charts: which one do you need?
A routine chart is a list of steps in the order they happen, with a picture for each. It turns "Have you brushed your teeth? Where are your shoes?" into one glance at the wall.
- Morning routine chart — getting out of the door without the shouting.
- Bedtime routine chart — the same steps every night, which is what makes sleep easier.
- After-school routine chart — snack, homework, play, in an order everyone agrees.
- Visual schedule — big pictures, one day, for children who do best with a picture-first plan.
Making a routine chart work
Order matters more than anything
Put the steps in the exact order they happen. Use the arrows next to each step to move it. A routine chart isn't a list of chores; it's a sequence, and a child who follows it top to bottom should arrive at the end dressed, fed and ready.
Six to eight steps
Fewer and the chart leaves gaps where the arguments are; more and the child stops reading it. If a step is really two ("Get dressed" is often socks, then everything else), split it for a younger child.
Pictures carry it
Each step gets a picture from the theme. Click a picture in the list to match it to the step. A child who can't read follows the pictures; a child who can read still finds them faster.
Ticks are optional
The weekly layout gives a box for each day, which suits children who like the satisfaction of a tick. If the chart is purely a reminder, nobody has to tick anything; it still works as a sequence on the wall. The daily layout gives one big box per step for younger children.
Put it where the routine happens
Morning chart in the bedroom or by the front door; bedtime chart in the bathroom or on the bedroom door; after-school chart by the kitchen table. The chart has to be in sight at the moment it's needed.