https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 13:10:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482247 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:18:05 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2482247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: does attitude have an impact? Like my son always neglects to put his diaper in the trash in the AM so I have to tell him to put it in there not on the floor when he takes it off to go potty. I guess if I am punitive in my approach it becomes a rule, whereas if I am positive/flat it is a routine, like "LO lets throw away this diaper!" Vs "hey in this house we throw away our trash." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482239 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:15:13 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2482239@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Charm54: my son's preschool also has only two rules: be kind to each other and take care of our things. I guess everything flows from those. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482235 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:13:44 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2482235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think basically a routine would be reinforced just through practice. It's an expectation rather than a "rule" per se. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482232 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:12:33 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2482232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Charm54: it is amazing to me how mine will comply if I get him started, indicate that this is part of the day, and not get into a battle with him about it. My DH today had an epic standoff over it because he didn't want to help my son clean up but my son expects some help since I usually do. It was an interesting real life instance of routine vs. rule. However eventually he will have to learn to do it on his own but at the moment I am ok with getting him started. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482216 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:06:14 +0000 Charm54 2482216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is interesting though and made me think on how I can do more of this at home. Generally picking up toys is a battle for us too. The past few days I've turned off the TV and said "okay, time to tidy up before supper!" And it's gone much smoother. If I say "tidy up" she will do it happily, since that's what they say at daycare .... Where it is a routine. </p> <p>Interesting!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482205 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 20:59:29 +0000 Charm54 2482205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In my elementary classroom, together, we come up with a class set of expectations at the beginning of the year. They are framed positively in kid-friendly, I-Can statements (ie: "no hitting" would be "I can use my hands for helping"...instead of "no running" we would write "I can walk slowly to get where I need to go". They are really just a set of routines and the students do very well at coming up with them on their own. </p> <p>Then I have one and only one classroom rule "Be kind to yourself and others". It is very easy to remember and pretty much anything can fall under that umbrella haha. We refer to it all the time. Consequences for breaking a rule or expectation is generally reflective (unless it is severe of course, then more immediate action is taken)</p> <p>Also, lots and lots of redirecting, planned ignoring, and being pro-active. The ultimate goal is to stop behaviours before they start. Lots of team building so students feel like they are part of a community and their behaviour matters to the group as a whole. Discipline problems are thankfully few and far between (in general), because everyone had a part in developing the expectations and it is very clear. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/all-the-teacher-bees-rules-vs-routines#post-2482188 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 20:47:15 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2482188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The slide thread got me thinking about how to convert rules into routines.</p> <p>I recently read an article <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/opinion/sunday/how-to-raise-a-creative-child-step-one-back-off.html?referer=&#038;_r=0)" rel="nofollow">http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/opinion/sunday/how-to-raise-a-creative-child-step-one-back-off.html?referer=&#038;_r=0)</a> which said that parents of creative children typically had one rule in the home, while parents of more conventional children have an average of five. We have a lot of rules in our home so this article sort of made me anxious. Ever since then I've been trying to distill my rules into as few as possible.</p> <p>This reminded me of a classroom management course I took that talked about rules vs routines, and how converting rules to routines can have tremendous impact on classroom management. Right now we are having trouble with picking up our toys so I'm working to make it a routine and not a rule. Tonight was an epic battle. But at school it was a non issue...I think because they treat it like a routine and not a rule.</p> <p>Teacher bees, how do you distinguish between a rule and a routine? What is the difference in how you enforce a routine vs. a rule? Or is this distinction just mumbo jumbo. </p>