Someone responded to my email last week about doing a family meeting before school starts, which included coming up with bedtime routines, morning routines, chores, screen time, and anything else for getting ready for the new year. And she asked me, "How old does your child have to be to start this?"
My response was "Maybe three or four years old" because at that time, even if they're not able to read, or able to see the future and know what time they want to leave for school to get there on time, you want to start planting seeds for having family meetings around creating these kinds of rituals and routines.
Even a three-year-old can participate in a conversation about the order of things. "First, we put pajamas on, then we read books, right?"
So even if you feel like your child's not old enough to participate in a family meeting, you still can sit down with a piece of paper and use pictures or have conversations with them about your routines, your expectations, and even about your family rules and when they're going to get screen time. Make a calendar that's very visual for them.
For younger kids, keep it simple and visual, but start doing this early because you want them to be in the habit of it, you want them to be used to it, and you want them to be on board with it when they get older.
So let me know if you have any questions about that.
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