Routines Vs. Schedules
Did you know there’s a difference between a routine and a schedule?
A routine and a schedule are related, they often compliment each other and need one another to balance each other out, yet they are not one and the same. While they both help organize and give structure to your day, one is a looser fashion and one with more specific, set times.
The good news is that you can use whichever feels more fitting for your lifestyle. If you are someone who thrives more on a set schedule with set times, then you would use a schedule more than a routine. And if you are someone who thrives with more flexibility, something not so set in stone, then a basic routine will be enough for you.
Let’s break them down a bit more.
Routines:A routine refers to a set of habitual activities, behaviors, or tasks that an individual regularly engages in, often without much variation. They are a general sequences of events.
Routines help establish structure, consistency, and efficiency in their daily lives.
Routines can refer to all aspects of your life, personal and organizational, such as a morning routine, an exercise routine, a work routine or a cleaning routine, etc…
Routines are flexible and adaptable to accommodate changes in circumstances.
Schedules:A schedule is a plan or timetable that outlines specific times for activities & events.
Schedules are structured and detailed than routines, specifying when each activity should take place.
Schedules can be daily, weekly, monthly, or even longer-term while routines follow a more general timeline.
Schedules are used to coordinate multiple activities, events, or people.
So while routines involve habitual behaviors and activities, schedules provide specific timing and organization for those activities. Routines can be part of a schedule, but a schedule encompasses a broader range of planning and time management.
Who are routines & schedules suitable for?
In regards to babies and their schedules, routines are more suitable for newborns while babies around 4 months and up are ready for more of a set schedule. Having a routine for your newborn sets the stage and prepares them for when they are ready for a set schedule, so routines are important for building up to that.
Just a reminder…A small reminder, however, that even when following a set schedule for your child, you always have room for some flexibility when necessary. You never have to follow any schedule so rigidly that you have now become a prisoner to it or now don’t have any wriggle room for change or flexibility. Humans, babies, adults, kids…we are not robots and always need to have the ability to adapt to changes that happen throughout the day.
So are you more of a schedule person or a routine person?
