I have a confession to make: I married an elementary school teacher.

There are several things the spouses of elementary school teachers know to be true. We all know that after a long day of teaching little ones, all your wife or husband wants to do is spend some time talking to an adult. If you’re the spouse of a teacher, you probably know just as much about the students in their class as you do about your own children. Then there’s the “teacher voice” our spouses slip into from time to time during conversation. I always joke with my wife when she talks to me as if I was a second grader. Again, it’s just an inevitability after working with little guys all day long.

While those examples can make us chuckle, especially those of us with the common experience, there is one thing that elementary teachers value when educating students: routine.

Try this:

Try me on this one. I dare you! Go to an elementary teacher and ask them the following questions:

• What do you do on the first day of school?
• What do your students do when they come into your classroom?
• Where do students turn in homework?
• When is it due?

Note the speed at which teachers respond and the authority they command when they speak. You see, elementary teachers know the importance of having a routine for their students. The students know what to expect and when to expect it. They know that this is what we do and when we do it. The same can be said for your family devotion and teaching time. Your young family will know what to expect and when to expect it.

Think about all the routines you go through each day. What do you do to get ready in the morning? Is each morning different, or do you follow a routine? Most of us follow a routine. The same thing that is helpful for adults is helpful for children.

Over the next four weeks, we will be discussing different examples of routine as it comes to devotions and teaching your young family. Each week will provide a new example of routine and how this practice can help you catechize your children and teach them our wonderful faith.

Homework

Before next week, think about your family’s routine. Do you have one? What does it look like? Having thought about this will prepare you for the ideas that will be presented in the upcoming posts.