One of the things we learn early on in our parental lives is that children and timetables don't mix. In fact, they seem to be arch enemies! Getting your little guy on a stable schedule is vital, but it can be tricky. The following are tips to help you decrease stress in your routine, so everyone has a good morning and makes it to work and school on time.

Setting the Schedule

Get your child involved in creating his schedule. Sit down with him and work together. Make sure to discuss activities; help him prioritize. Ask him what he thinks he should do before bed and the next morning. Write down the most important stuff and let him make fun suggestions like reading, wishing on a star, or calling Grandma. For younger children turn it into a craft project.  Create a schedule with pictures and use it as the guide rather than dictating each step.

Bedtime

First, set a strict time for bed. Most children need 8-10 hours. After deciding upon the right time, keep it up! When making a schedule, give your child extra time for each step at first. If he gets everything done quickly, reward him by reading another book, but not with extra play time. Note how long each step takes to compare future efforts with.

Preparing for Morning

Include morning preparation in the bedtime routine. When your little girl is bathed and dressed in her pajamas, she can pick her clothes out for the next day. Take care of everything that doesn't have to wait until morning. Designate a place for everything you need to take with you when you leave the house and put it all there before bedtime.

Morning

If you accomplish all of the above, your morning should go fairly well. Don't worry about doing in the morning what can wait until you get home. It's also a good idea for your child to learn to make her bed in the morning, but unloading the dishwasher can wait until the evening.

Rewards

Provide natural rewards and consequences when your child sticks to her schedule. It's a wonderful opportunity to help her learn cause and effect. More common disciplinary methods, such as time-outs, are usually not effective when you're trying to get out the door. Let your child choose a few optional fun activities that he will have time to do if he gets everything else done. Set a specific reward system as well, such as getting ice cream or going to the zoo.

Weekends and Holidays

Staying up late and getting up late too will make it harder to get back on schedule come Monday. You can be a little more flexible with bedtime, but set specific limits. Consistency with your children will create healthy habits.