In a "routine rut?"

With more winter weather moving into the area, you may need some ideas on how to add a little “fun” into the routine.  This works great for when you feel like you have repeated yourself a thousand times and it doesn’t feel like the kids are listening.  Before giving them a direction, such as washing their hands in the bathroom, you could say, “Do you want to hop like a bunny to the bathroom or fly like an airplane?”  By adding an action into the direction, kids often feel like it’s a game and become much more excited to follow through.  Here are some of my personal favorites: be a robot, moo like a cat, bark like a dog, slither like a snake, dance, hop like a frog, and growl like a bear.  Before your direction, give them two choices to make it “fun.”  Break up that winter dreary routine most of us are experiencing. 
~Marena Mitchell, Speech-Language Pathologist