Creating Harmony and Independence at Home: Start With One Simple Routine

Have you ever wondered whether your child could gain more independence, self-worth, and problem-solving skills while also fostering concentration and harmony in your home environment?

After working with many families and children over the years, one thing has become very clear:

Children LOVE gaining responsibilities.

They thrive when there are consistent routines, clear expectations, and simple limits they can understand and participate in.

Do you want to help your child become more engaged in daily routines -
such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, leaving the house without stress, tidying after meals or play - with more flow and cooperation?
Do you want your child to develop a healthy sense of agency and responsibility at home?

Below, you’ll find a practical example to help you get started. Free download available here.

A Common Challenge: Tidying Up Toys

One of the most frequent challenges families share with me is the “tidy-up routine.”
Here’s a simple, effective approach you can start using today.

Scenario

Toys are scattered all over the floor.
You say, “Please tidy up,” and your child…

• walks away,

• lies down on the floor,

• ignores the request, or

• simply refuses.

This is very common.
It doesn’t mean your child is “misbehaving.”
More often, the task feels too big, too vague, or too overwhelming.

Instead, try this:

1. Sit with your child and begin the routine together

Rather than giving a verbal command like,
“Can you tidy up, please?”
(which can feel like a huge responsibility for a young child),
invite them into the routine by modelling what to do.

• Sit down calmly near the toys

• Start singing a simple tidy-up song
  “Now it’s time to tidy up, tidy up, tidy up…”

• Slowly pick up a couple of items yourself

This approach gently draws the child in without pressure.
They see how to begin and feel supported.

2. Offer a simple choice

After about a minute, ask:

“Which ones shall I tidy up, and which ones are you going to do?”

This gives your child:

• a sense of agency

• a clear task they can handle

• predictable boundaries

At first, they may only pick up one or two items—this is perfectly fine.
What matters is that they are:

• participating

• taking small steps of responsibility

• building the foundation of the routine

3. Repeat the same routine next time

Consistency is what turns cooperation into a habit.

Every time you tidy up together:

• Sit down

• Sing the song

• Model by picking up a few items

• Offer the same choice

Repetition creates familiarity—and familiarity creates confidence.

4. Add a playful challenge once the routine becomes familiar

When your child begins to understand and follow the routine, add a gentle challenge:

• “Let’s count how many we each do. I’ll do 10, and you do 5.”

• “This time, you choose which toys are yours to tidy.”

Keep it light, fun, and collaborative—not competitive.

Over many repetitions (often around 10 consistent cycles), you’ll notice:

• your child chooses more items

• they need less prompting

• they start taking pride in their tidy-up work

• your presence becomes less necessary

Eventually, the tidy-up routine becomes a habit—
and your child will begin tidying independently.

Download Your Free Tidy-Up Routine here.

If you’d like support with other daily routines—
snack time, meal time, bedtime, bath time, school preparation, getting dressed, or creating calmer transitions—
feel free to reach out at hello@askmissfavalli.com.

Together, we can transform small moments into meaningful independence.

Warmly,

Miss Favalli