Staying One Step Ahead: Part 2 of 5

If your family routine mostly consists of you saying "shoes," "backpack," "water bottle," and "we are leaving in five minutes" until everyone is irritated… you may not actually have a routine.

You may just be the routine.

In Part 2 of the Staying One Step Ahead back-to-school series, Dr. Amy Patenaude explains how simple routines can reduce some of the remembering, prompting, and decision-making that make school mornings, homework, and evenings feel so exhausting.

This is not about color-coded schedules or running your home like a military academy. It is about finding the predictable place your family gets stuck and building a small system around it.

• Why "get ready" can be a huge executive-function task for kids
• How to find your family's biggest routine bottleneck
• Why routines should carry some of the remembering for you
• How to build three simple anchors: the Morning Launch, After-School Landing, and Evening Close
• Why independence does not mean removing all support
• How to create a "minimum version" for messy days

Ask four questions:

1. What is the cue? What tells your child the routine is starting?
2. What are the few visible steps? Aim for three to five.
3. Where does support enter? A visual? Timer? Reminder? Help starting?
4. What is the reset? When the routine falls apart, go back to the next step instead of restarting the whole argument.

Pick ONE friction point this week.

Morning shoes.
Backpack papers.
After-school questions.
Homework starting.
Bedtime devices.

Then ask:

Can I move one reminder out of my mouth and into the environment?

A checklist, note, phone alarm, visual cue, or predictable location can do some of the remembering for everyone.

A routine is a decision your family does not have to remake every day.

🎒 After-School Reset Guide
🌋 Volcano Feelings Freebie
🌱 Tiny Wins Playbook
🧠 ADHD, Anxiety, or Something Else?

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💜 Amy's Kyle Pease Foundation Fundraiser

In Part 3, we're talking about what is actually normal during the first weeks of school and how to tell the difference between a rough adjustment and a pattern worth watching.

A hard day is a data point. It is not automatically a pattern.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or legal advice.