"Ten more times, then it's in bed."

That signaled the end of reading and the last rocks in the rocking chair before getting in bed for my son. I would count out loud. There was never fussing about bedtime.

That was the routine.

You probably already have some established routines for your child. A bedtime routine may be the first you develop. Routines help your day flow, and you may have many throughout the day.

Routines are often created around:

• Safety - getting out of a car in a parking lot

• Health - washing hands before eating.

• Transitions - getting ready for school

How do you create a routine?

A routine is created by repeating a sequence of actions at the time of an event. Children have great memories. They have no trouble remembering a sequence of actions connected to an event.

When creating a routine, consider:

1. What is the routine for? Concentrate on difficult times of the day.

2. What can you follow every day? Keep it simple.

3. Who will participate in the routine? All participants need to know the routine.

4. Follow the lead of the child to give them ownership. It helps if they like the routine.

5. If you are tackling a difficult time of the day, give the routine at least two weeks before changing it.

6. Allow for some flexibility, especially as children get older. Life happens.

Recently, while babysitting, I was putting my granddaughter to bed. I asked, "One more song, which one?"

"The duck song, NiNi."

Duck song? Hmm... it seems like I don't know the routine.