It was the same every morning.

You could even call it a ritual. Walking my son into preschool, "Let me just tell you something. A T-Rex was a meat-eater." I gave him a goodbye hug. Before I could even turn to leave, "Let me just tell you one more thing. A T-Rex had sharp teeth!" It did not matter the subject. My son always had two things to tell me before he went to the classroom window and waited for me to drive by and wave.

This routine allowed me to be on time to work every morning.

Adults often contribute their success to routines. Routines also help children.

Most parents have been there. The "no's," the public meltdowns, the "get back in bed."

Routines are your solution with benefits.

The structure and expectations of routines provide 5 benefits to children.

1. Learning self-control. The consistency of routines gives them a sense of comfort, safety and emotional stability. They learn to trust adults will provide for them.

2. Reducing power struggles. Children learn to anticipate the next event through routines gain confidence and a sense of control. This limits behavior corrections.

3. Learning positive, responsible behavior and safety. Routines are built-in instruction manuals.

4. Supporting and developing children’s social skills. Routines teach patterns for social interaction and language skills.

5. Coping with transitions. Bedtime or like my son, school drop-off, is easier with a routine. An adult's and child's day becomes a win-win once a routine is established.

Helping a child develop routines provides key ingredients for learning: relationships and repetition develop a child's self-confidence and self-esteem for learning situations.

This is a spiral staircase. Initial routines enhance the learning environment. As the child grows, routines can change to meet new, more sophisticated learning environments.

Helping children develop routines contributes to their steps toward success.