2)      Write down your daily family routine.  Then break this down for each child.  What are they doing from the time they get up in the morning until bedtime?  Are there structured times (such as school), or do they have mostly free time during the day.  Write down all items they need to complete during the day, including brushing teeth, baths, chores, school, homework, play time, etc.  The more detailed you can be for each child, the easier the planning process will become.

3)      Make a list of each child’s strengths and weaknesses.  Include what they are interested in and what they are good at as well as areas they have difficulty with.

4)      Make a list of you and your spouse’s strengths and weaknesses as they relate to discipline.  Does one of you tend to be easier on the children in the evening when you are tired, letting certain behaviors slide even when you know you should do something?  Is there a certain behavior that you and your spouse are always disagreeing on the method of discipline?  You will need to work together to provide consistency, so working with your strengths and weaknesses will help you back one another up.

Step Two:  Normal Daily Routines

Each family has an overall daily routine they follow every day.  Many families must get up each morning, get ready for school and work, come home later in the day, prepare dinner and then continue on to play time, homework time, bath time, etc.  But inside the general family routines, each person also has a daily routine.  Some people are better at certain tasks than others.  For example, one child may get up, get dressed and be ready for school well ahead of time while you find yourself constantly frustrated with another child in the morning as they never seem to be ready on time.  Using a daily plan for each member of the family can help you see where each child needs help.

1)      Make a daily routine plan for each child.  Start with the time they normally get up in the morning and plan their day.  This plan should include all necessary items, such as brushing their teeth, getting dressed, chores and eating.  It should also include structured times, such as school and homework and unstructured playtime.  Use a separate paper for each child’s daily routine.  The routine will be different for a five-year-old child and a ten-year-old child.