As parents, we are usually looking for answers on how to raise a well behaved child with self esteem and social skills. Regularly we would have a daily schedule for our children with various routines that need to be strictly followed.

Therefore, it is then fair to ask ourselves if routines are really that important, how do we know if the ones we are following are actually helping our children?

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, centuries ago said; "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit". And he was right! A routine is something we repeatedly do for the same situation until it becomes a habit. The constant repetition of that action slowly shapes our character and builds up the foundation of who we are. Routines are crucial for our children’s life, but we need to be careful, we might be helping them to become tolerant, open minded and flexible by creating good habits, but we might be handling routines inappropriately and create the opposite without noticing.

Routines give order and structure to children and adult’s life. They give children a sense of stability and self control reducing behavioral problems, teaching time management and providing the child the opportunity to predict what will happen next, a skill that later on will be of great significance for becoming a good reader. When a child knows her boundaries and what is expected, she feels some control over the day and perceives a sense of care from the adult; that helps her to become more self-confident. Research has proven that routines influence children's emotional, cognitive, and social development.