THE 12th tip in the 31 days to becoming a better dad is to set routines for your children.

Our children need routines. The earlier we set routines for our children, the more likely they will do well in school and behave at home. When children know what is expected of them, they are eager to gain your approval.

Developing routines in our own lives is the best way to create routines for our children. Children learn by watching others and when they see their parents getting up, eating breakfast, grooming and heading off for work the same time each day, it establishes an internal clock in them.

By the time they are school-aged, children should already have most of their routines set and be prepared for what is expected of them. They should know what chores are their responsibility and when they should be done. They should also know when bed time is and what they need to have done before then.

Good fathers have good children that more often than not do what they are supposed to before they are even asked. By establishing routines early in childhood, your children will be eager to show you how well they have it down.

DAD TALK

* What routines did you have as a child?
* Do you think having a routine helped or hurt you growing up?
* What routines do you set for your children?

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