Child development: Do family routines really matter?
You may suspect that family routines, such as mealtimes together and reading to your child consistently, are good for your child’s well being, but now science has proven it.
A recent study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics confirms that young children who take part in family routines are more likely to be socially and emotionally advanced. This development at home has been proven to enable the children to thrive in the classroom as well.
Of course, you need to find what works for your family. If meals together are not possible every night, perhaps a family walk or movie night may be just as beneficial.
However you decide to do it, the goal is to spend quality time together fostering communication and loving relationships.
Reviewed by Dr. Kristie Rivers, September 2020
We put our girls in a wagon every evening and take a walk with them. They love it and it’s nice to get them out of the house for a bit. 🙂
This makes me smile. We have a lot of daily family routines so maybe this is why my girls are so well behaved at school and different sports they participate in. I was shocked when my two year old started school because of how well behaved they told me she was. She isn’t always so at home!