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Myron Morris, O.R. Business Manager and Dr. Audrey Winer, Pediatrician

The 3R’s to Getting Kids Back On Track

3Rs

Whether it’s after the holidays or a school or family vacation, getting the kids back into their normal routine is easier said than done. But when everyone works together, with a little time and effort, everyone will be back into the groove in no time.

For parents who employ nannies, consistency and structure tend to be strongly present in their children’s days.  Each morning, nanny arrives at a certain time, mom or dad leaves upon nanny’s arrival, nanny enforces consistent meal and naptimes, mom or dad returns home at a certain time and nanny says goodbye and ends her day. Even if the times aren’t exact, the transitions of caregivers, meals and naps typically occur in the same order each day, establishing a clear pattern that governs the children’s routine.

When vacation, travel, visitors, school breaks, or other interruptions in the family’s normal routine occur, it’s no surprise the children’s routines and schedules become disrupted and as a result, behavior and sleep patterns can suffer.

Since routine and structure breed familiarity and security, getting the children back on track is essential to helping children effectively manage their emotions, behavior, sleeping and eating patterns.

To get the children back on track quickly, the parents and nanny can work together to:

Reintroduce sleep schedules.

Well-rested children are better behaved and better able to handle their interactions with their world. Once ready to settle back into the routine, reintroduce sleep schedules. Get back to the bedtime routine and having the children to bed at their established bedtime. Encourage children to wake at their usual times and reintroduce their typical naptime schedule.

Reestablish feeding schedules.

Well-fed children are better behaved and don’t experience ups and downs in their blood sugar that can negatively impact how they feel and behave. Reestablish consistent meal and snack times and get back to feeding the children their typical healthy diet. Offer a variety of foods each day in the form of three nutritious meals and two snacks. Cut out daily junk foods and juice that can creep into a child’s diet when the normal routine is interrupted.

Reinforce behavioral expectations.

During vacations and breaks from the typical routine, rules and behavioral expectations can become lax, especially when others play a role in caring for the children. Consistently reinforce behavioral expectations by following through with age and situational appropriate consequences.

When there are interruptions to the family’s normal routine, the children’s routine will also be interrupted. Keeping what you can consistent, like mealtimes and bedtimes, can minimize the impact changes to the routine have on the children. But even if things go awry, don’t worry. When all caregivers are on the same page, order will be restored in no time.

Morningside Nannies has a pool of qualified nannies to provide short-term, temporary childcare. If you’re looking for a nanny to accompany you on vacation or to provide care during school break, contact a placement specialist at (713) 526-3989 to begin your caregiver search.

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