The challenge

Step 1

Talk to your child about the different things they will be doing this week. For example going to school, being picked up by Grandma on Thursday, visiting Aunty on Friday, going to soccer on Saturday. Oh, and don't forget school happens each day too, and on Monday it's 'Go to School in Your Pajamas day'.

Step 2

Get a piece of paper and some highlighters or coloured pencils, and help your child create their week's schedule. Talk with them about labelling the days of the week, and you might include things like what time things are happening, for example before school or after school.

They could even invent some codes. What symbol could they create to represent being picked up by Grandma?

Step 3

Have your child place the information from their personal schedule into the family calendar.

Step 4

Get your child to tick off the activities they have done at the end of each day.

The conversation

As you are helping your child create their schedule, talk to them about things like:

• "Does Grandma pick you up in the morning or the afternoon?"
• "Do we go to soccer before or after you've had your breakfast?"
• "What day comes before Wednesday?"
• "What's something that happens every day of the week?"

Tip:

This is also an opportunity to talk to them about what to do if plans change, for example, what to do if grandma doesn’t come to pick them up or they miss their bus.