Fridays - Getting a head start on the next week.

As a mother with three kids I know how important routine is. One of the biggest routine breakers in my house is Friday's. It seems I finally get the week under control and then Friday comes and brings a weekend of chaos. I thought I would share some tips and tricks on keeping the weekends under control for a much better start to a new week. The first rule I follow is bedtimes, my kids have a very strict bedtime and that follows into the weekend. Kids, more often then not need more then just 8 hours of sleep. There are several pediatricians that recommend at least 10 to 12 hours for busy , energetic kids. The second rule I follow is making sure they are getting up in the morning. I know its very hard to get up on a weekend when you just want to sleep those few extra hours. I also know how difficult it is to stick to any kind of a schedule. The best I can say for that is , don't me hard on yourself, kids will respond to any stresses in their environment. That's why keeping them on a good schedule can be extra rewarding. Children have so little control over their surroundings , can you remember how frustrating that could be? If children already know what is expected of them it gives them more confidence and makes them feel allot more in control. In turn that will make them calmer and take a lot of the hassle and fight out of the day. I hope everyone enjoys the weekend and finds some of these tips useful.