Reflections on Our First Four Months: Building Routines, Relationships, and Rhythms.
When I sat down to write this blog, I had to pinch myself—how could it have already been four months since we opened our doors? And yet, how could it only have been four months? The whirlwind of these past few months has made time feel elastic, stretching and compressing in ways that make it hard to believe how much we’ve experienced in such a short period.
Our first day of operation was both exciting and daunting. We started with four children and two educators, each of us trying to settle into a new normal. Every day of that first month brought new faces and new challenges as we gradually introduced more children, eventually reaching our full enrollment of 17 children per day. In those early weeks, our focus was singular: building relationships and establishing a routine that would carry us through the day. Everything was new, not just for the children but for us as educators as well. We were learning to navigate new colleagues, new children, and new routines. For many of us, this was our first experience working in a multi-age group setting, and some of our staff were completely new to working with children.
During that first week, creating any sort of routine felt almost impossible. With fewer than eight children each day, our days were quiet and slow, but this also meant that everyone was operating on their own schedule. Without established routines reinforced by visual or auditory cues, it felt like we might never get everyone in the same place at the same time.
In Waldorf (Steiner) education, daily rhythms are seen as essential for fostering a child’s emotional and physical well-being. The concept of rhythm is deeply ingrained in this educational philosophy, where the day is designed to alternate between periods of focused learning (in-breath/contraction) and creative or physical activities (out-breath/expansion). This consistent flow helps children develop self-discipline, emotional regulation, and a sense of trust in their environment. These rhythms allow children to measure time, predict what’s happening next, and develop a deep sense of security.
While we are always more than willing to meet each child’s individual routines and needs, we also believe in the importance of developing a routine and rhythm to the day. This not only supports children in developing a sense of security and stability but also fosters a sense of balance that is crucial for their well-being. Structure isn’t the lack of a play-based environment, but rather the habits, rituals and rhythms that help to guide us in the in-between. Structure provides the constant and the predictability that enables children to feel safe and secure in their environment.
After a month of trial and error and settling in, the older children began to follow our cues, and in turn, the younger ones followed suit. There were days when the routines fell into place beautifully, and other days when they completely fell apart. But as we got to know our children and each other better, we developed more consistency in our routines and the communication we used to guide them. As a team, we spent a lot of time discussing where routines could be flexible—such as the timing of certain activities—and where consistency was paramount, like the order of a routine, to ensure predictability for the children.
As our numbers grew, establishing routines actually became easier. Upon reflection we noticed that the more children we had, the more children we could get to follow a routine, giving those who were not moving with the group an example to follow. Within our context, we were not only supporting children of multiple ages but also children with various diagnoses such as ASD, global developmental delay and more than one child with severe speech delays or non-verbal communication. So we focused on using signs, key phrases, and visuals to nurture the children's connection to the rhythm of the day. We made sure each routine went the same way every time. For example, circle time always finishes with a transition game that sends the children in staggered groups to the bathroom. From there, they wash their hands, get their drink bottles, and sit at the table. This never changes, which allows the children to complete the routine with minimal support. If it changed each day, they would require much more guidance from the educators about what to do and where to be next.
Even our youngest children are responsible for packing their own belongings away after a meal.
We are certainly starting to see success in this consistency and the protocols the children now understand. One moment that stands out to me is how hard it was initially to gather everyone for circle time. Yet, just this week, I found myself remarking to my colleagues that the children had all beaten the educators to circle time. We were busy tidying up and gathering resources when we began to sing the song that prompts circle time. We turned around to find that the children, ranging from 15 months to four and a half years old, had already rushed to the quiet room, where we held circle time. They were sitting in a somewhat perfect circle, waiting for us. It was in that moment that I realised how successful we had been in making our routines predictable, consistent, and engaging. The children not only knew the routine but loved it.
Coming from a background in primary school education, I’m no stranger to routine. In schools, the day is dictated by bells, timetables, and schedules. Similarly, in childcare, routines can sometimes feel rigid and controlled. You don’t have the freedom to do what you want, when you want, because children have specific needs—nappy changes, toileting, meals, and sleep—that must be met. However, within this structure, there’s also a beauty in the rhythm we’ve created—a rhythm that the children have embraced and made their own. These past four months have been a whirlwind, but they have also been a testament to the power of routine and rhythm in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for our children.
Early childhood environments might be similar to a school environment in the way they can be controlled by routine. However, in my experience, there are more opportunities within our early childhood space to find joy and connection within our routines. Nappy changes, for instance, don't need to disrupt the program. They can be built into it. These moments are opportunities for educators to instil the very skills we work so hard to plan for in the first place. Self-help skills are learned when routines are slowed down to allow children to try things for themselves. Nappy changes can be used to form new relationships or practice language skills. Taking toddlers to the toilet in pairs is a great way to scaffold new friendships. Allowing the children to set up the meal tables or lay out the sleep mats provides valuable life skill learning.
These routines should not be seen as a hassle, interfering with the many planned experiences of the day such as painting or crafting, but as an integral part of the day's program. By focusing less on having a busy planned day and more on getting these routines right, no matter how much of the day they take up at first, we eventually have far more time for activities and play as the children become increasingly independent.
The children are involved in all routine tasks, as active participants. This promotes connection, community and life skills.
At first, packing away morning tea and getting outside to play took more than half an hour. Some days, by the time we completed circle time, got to the table, and ate, it would be past 10 a.m. Then we slowly supported each child to close their lunchbox, put it in the fridge, go back for their drink bottle, and go to the toilet if needed. Next, we would try to get outside. Considering we opened at the beginning of winter, this meant shoes, socks, jumpers, coats, and often wet weather overalls. Most days, by the time we got all the children outside, it was 11 a.m., and our youngest babies were beginning to show signs that it was soon time for their midday sleep. They would need to head back inside to begin setting up their beds, have a nappy change, eat their lunch, and then go down for a sleep. So where was the time for play? What about the programmed experiences?
The reason these routines took so long was the consistency with which we approached them. If the end goal was for children to pack away their own belongings, then we needed to start as we intended to finish. It would have been somewhat quicker to pack up for the children, to put on their shoes and socks for them, and hurry the children outside. But completing these tasks for the children would have meant giving up some incredibly important teaching moments. In the long term, our days would have remained heavily reliant on educators.
Sometimes we turned self-help skills into a game during circle time. This helped the children to learn from us, from each other and work through strategies.
Supporting multi-ages, children with additional needs, and children who had never been in a childcare environment before meant that it was important we took the time to support children to learn the routines and to know the expectation would remain consistent. We had to intentionally teach children how to properly close and clip their lunchboxes after many attempted to pack away an unclipped lunchbox, spilling its contents all over the floor. We had to intentionally teach many of our older children how to put on their own socks and shoes or how to go to their bag to collect a jumper or coat.
We put in the time at the beginning, and it has paid off in full. Our children are now beginning to complete these routines by themselves. They are also showing these independent skills in other ways and times during the day. Now that we are exploring more experiences, we don’t always have the ability to stop and put a three-year-old’s shoes on or get their jumper for them. With the intentional teaching we have undergone throughout the routine aspects of our day, the children can now complete these with little or no support throughout the day. Similarly, during meals like morning tea, we can have one educator preparing the day’s experiences, as it’s not an all-hands-on-deck time anymore. The other educators are free to sit and engage in conversation with the children, which fosters more connections and enhances social and language development.
Looking back over these past four months, I am amazed at the progress we’ve made. The children have adapted to their new routines, learned new skills, and developed a sense of independence. It has in no way been easy, and some days it has felt like we would never get it right. We still have less than great days, we had one this week in fact. However, thats the nature of working children, always ever-changing and responsive to a variety of external and internal influences. But when I consider that four months is such a short time in the scheme of a new centre, we feel very proud of what we have achieved as a team. We have created a space where routines are not just about getting through the day but are rich opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. The rhythm we’ve established is not just a schedule—it’s the heartbeat of our community, guiding us all as we learn and grow together.