A characteristic of Temperament:
Regularity of Schedules
Not regular, sleep and eat at different times each day
Regular, sleep and eat at same times each day
What does this mean?
How regularly a child wants to eat, sleep, and use the bathroom.
What does this look like?
Regardless of parents’ influence, some children develop regular patterns of sleeping, eating, and using the bathroom.
Others have a more difficult time developing regular schedules and seem unpredictable in these areas.
For example, they might need two long naps one day and three shorter naps the next.
Children with irregular schedules may take longer to complete developmental tasks, like potty training.
How can I help?
Caregivers of a child with a regular schedule might need to carry extra snacks to make sure their child can eat on time even if they are out somewhere.
Caregivers of a child with a variable schedule might need to spend longer helping their children calm down and prepare for sleep at night.
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Quick Tip
- While consistency and predictability in routines is important for all children, understanding your child's regularity of schedules will help you determine the cause of some difficult behaviors and how firm or flexible you should be within your routines.
