Less Stress - More Success: Part 1 of 3

Is that the way it goes at your house?

"Are you kidding?" you snicker. "My kids are more likely to run and hide than to answer that way."

Of course, anyone who works with kids knows that they tend to 'live for the moment'. Most of them could care less about the future benefits of chores or other character building 'interruptions'.

So, why do we 'row upstream' in spite of the objections of our children?

Because the fact is, routines are good for them: the discipline of daily rhythms is in their best interest.

• Numerous studies show that children who grow up in environments that are reasonably structured are much more likely to excel as adults than children who have little structure in their lives.

• Our own experience confirms those findings. It's common, for example, that the development of an 18-month-old child who joins our school, skyrockets during his first months with us. Among other reasons, the more structured environment results in growth that simply astounds most parents.

• Routines avoid many of the stresses that children invent for the adults in their lives. With certain blocks of time already committed to pre-set activities, there is simply less time available to negotiate other choices and activities.

• Once they get used to their schedule, children who know what's coming next are more relaxed and easier to manage. What's more, they truly like to know what's next. In fact, when you interrupt the pattern, they'll quickly let you know that you messed up!

Is the extra effort on your part worth it? You bet. That goes for both you and the kids.

And don't let the objections of your children fool you. On a deeper level, they actually appreciate the discipline of focusing on and getting good at the things you are helping them achieve.

In our next article, we'll explore various areas of a child's life that can benefit from routine, ritual and structure.