Routines, broadly defined, are repeated goal-focused behaviors (Segal, 2004). Your routines may include a mixture of scheduled activities, such as shared mealtimes or a game of pickup basketball on the weekends. The purpose of these routines, other than to get something to eat or enjoy some exercise, is to create predictability and bring together people with different schedules so they can interact and accomplish a task (DeVault, 1994).

Routines and predictability can have positive effects for children, adolescents, and adults. Family routines are the predictable, repeated, consistent patterns that characterize everyday home life. As one of the fundamental structures of family life, these routines help to promote the health of the family members (Boyce et al., 1983). Family routines bring us closer together, help us get work done, bring stability to our lives, and manage day-to-day challenges (Harrist et al., 2019).

Children

It may seem obvious to you that routines bring people together and create stability. You may have felt this firsthand growing up with routines that brought comfort and security, like reading bedtime stories with a favorite stuffed animal.

One way to understand the nature of contemporary families beyond your personal experience is to analyze patterns of social behavior. Recent research shows how routines affect outcomes for children:

• Routines in the home, such as bedtime routines and homework sessions, can have positive effects on children’s mental health, physical health, academic achievement, and delinquent behavior.
• Family routines can give children a sense of stability and security, in turn potentially decreasing anxiety.
• Positive child adjustment across the transition to kindergarten can be facilitated by family routines.
• Home routines can be especially helpful for children from low-socioeconomic-status households in countering some of the elevated risk for experiencing chaotic and unpredictable family environments.

Adolescents

The benefits and positive developmental effects of routines for children are similar to those experienced during adolescence. Studies show how routines affect outcomes for adolescents:

• Adolescents who regularly share mealtimes with their parents are less susceptible to experiencing depression, get better grades, are less likely to smoke cigarettes or marijuana, are less likely to have problematic drinking problems, and have fewer mental health problems (Compan et al., 2002; Eisenberg et al., 2004).

• African American adolescents who experience more family routines have reduced risk of alcohol and epinephrine use, higher emotional self-regulation, and increased likelihood of enrolling in a four-year university (Barton et al., 2018).
• For youth who struggled with mental health, family routines served as a way for the families to feel in control, helped the family members cope and have a sense of purpose, enforced familial cohesion, and reinforced individual and family identity (Koom et al., 2012).

For adolescents, family routines can increase social competence, improve educational outcomes, and contribute to mental health and resilience (Barnes et al., 2007; Evans & Rodger, 2008; Fiese et al., 2002; Hofferth & Sandberg, 2001; Lanza & Taylor, 2010; Schultz-Krohn, 2004). These family routines might look like a regular movie night or volunteering to pick up trash at a neighborhood park every other month. An adolescent’s sense of connectedness with family life can also serve as a protective factor against suicide ideation (Carter et al., 2005). Children and adolescents who participate in shared family activities, such as game nights or attending religious services together, can form a stronger sense of identity and self-confidence (Denham, 1995, 2002, 2003; Evans & Rodger, 2008).

Adults

Life as an adult can sometimes feel chaotic and overwhelming. With work, caretaking, social, and academic demands, it can be challenging to create and maintain routines that fit within a busy schedule. Even so, having routines as an adult can be beneficial. Researchers have also shown how routines can be helpful for adults, particularly in the areas of physical, emotional, relational, and financial well-being.

Routines in adulthood can be ones that a person establishes for themselves or ones that are shared with housemates, family members, or friends. Routines in a family environment can be helpful for a person’s health. For example, a couple might make a habit of going for a daily stroll around the block or cooking a healthy meal together. People trying to implement health behaviors, such as discontinuing the use of tobacco products, can find benefits in routines (Wagner et al., 2004). A family might have a routine of getting dental and medical checkups on birthdays or at the beginning of each year, which could help prevent medical and dental issues (Rosse al., 1990).

Routines can also be beneficial for an adult’s emotional and relational well-being. For individuals, day-to-day routines, such as a 10-minute meditation each morning, can enhance a person’s sense of contentment and life satisfaction (Heintzelman & King, 2019). Adults who share routines with friends and family are likely to feel supported, and the practice can strengthen relationships. For example, families that have regular check-ins can support and encourage each other, which can help increase a sense of closeness (Franko et al., 2008). Romantic partners can enhance their sense of connectedness and emotional intimacy by setting aside “date nights,” or time to regularly enjoy each other’s company (Wilcox & Dew, 2012).

Routines can also be helpful for one’s financial well-being while at the same time being helpful for relationships. Adults who live with roommates and have weekly or monthly budget check-ins have been found to have better success meeting financial goals. The roommates can encourage and support each other in their goals, as well as discuss financial issues to prevent conflict that could come from economic stress (Dew, 2008).

Licenses and Attributions for Routines, Predictability, and Families

Open Content, Original

“How Routines and Predictability Affect Children and Adults” by Monica Olvera. License: CC BY 4.0.

Open Content, Shared Previously

“In Focus: Reading as a Family” by Isabelle Havet. License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Figure 5.1. Photograph by Isabelle Havet. License: CC BY 4.0.

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