Why is routine so important for teens? Adolescence brings with it intense physical, emotional, and social change. When so much of a teen’s life is in flux, the predictability of everyday routines is grounding. As the study’s lead author Allen Barton says, “We often lose sight of the mundane aspects of life, but if we can get control of the… everyday parts of life, then I think we can have a major impact on some bigger things.” The benefits of routine include:

• Enhanced closeness and bonding: Consistent routines send the message that you’re there for your teen and they can trust and count on you.
• Physical well-being: Regular bedtimes help set your teen’s body clock so they know when it’s time to go to sleep and wake up. Similarly, regular mealtimes help teens stay on track with healthier habits.
• Increased responsibility: When teens’ chores are scheduled and expectations are clear and consistent, they learn to keep commitments and care for others.
• Executive skills: Predictable routines help teens learn valuable lifelong skills like time management, organization, self-monitoring and self-control.

You may be asking, How can we get started with more stable routines… especially if my teen is already used to less structure? Parenting experts agree you should start small and involve teens in planning. Create one new routine at a time and begin with something that feels fun and rewarding, like a monthly game night or weekly dinner at home with the whole family. Ask your teen to help you brainstorm how to make your existing everyday routines more enjoyable and efficient, or create new rituals and traditions. This approach helps teens buy into routines as beneficial rather than seeing them as limiting.

Know that some teens like and need routine more than others. To give your teen a sense of ownership, talk with them about the habits they want to cultivate and the goals they are working towards, then work together to establish one small supportive change at a time. Approach new routines as an experiment instead of a rigid rule: try something out and if it doesn’t work, be prepared to modify it. When schedules or circumstances change– like at the start of the school year or when your teen adds an activity– it’s a good time to reevaluate routines. Above all, stay flexible and keep communicating.

More tips for setting successful routines:

• Think about your teen’s (and family’s) pressure-points: Is it always a battle to get out of bed in the morning? Do you tend to get super-stressed around homework or meal times? These areas are the perfect place to start creating more structure.
• Make it simple to accomplish tasks without investing a ton of time and energy. Remember that reducing stress often involves having to make fewer choices, so consider routines like a rotating weekly menu or prepping outfits the night before.
• Teens are chronically sleep deprived, so sleep is one of the most powerful places to establish routines. Emphasize consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, especially on school days.
• Don’t forget to factor in downtime, exercise and time with friends. These activities are all critical supports for teen mental health, and should be a priority even for busy teens.
• Make a shared family calendar and include reminders for the most important routines. From phone notifications to the old-fashioned chore chart, visual and auditory cues help your teen get used to new structure.
• Incentivize progress. When your teen– or your whole family– sticks to a new routine, make sure you celebrate success.
• Don’t be rigid: If a routine gets disrupted, just stay positive and start over tomorrow. And take time to periodically reevaluate routines to make sure they’re still in everyone’s best interests.

1. A predictable routine

One of the best ways parents can help teens manage their time is to be a little boring. Researchers at the University of Georgia found that teens with consistent schedules at home reported higher levels of self-control and emotional well-being and were less likely to use alcohol and more likely to enroll in college. Teens with routines also tested for lower levels of the stress hormone epinephrine. “The big takeaway is to help your child navigate the teen years, make their lives predictable,” says the study’s lead author Allen Barton. To minimize pushback and make it work for everyone, parents and teens can create routines together. Try establishing bedtimes, mealtimes, after-school schedules, and limits on screen time, and balance it out with lots of unscheduled time on the weekends.

2. Micro-goals

Two-thirds of teens say they are “constantly worried” about school and their workload is a major source of stress, according to the nonprofit Challenge Success. Academic pressure leads many teens to procrastinate and feel anxious and overwhelmed by their goals, instead of excited and optimistic. Parents can help teens break down big, potentially scary processes–think college applications–into manageable steps using micro-goals. Start by reducing the “barrier to entry,” or making the first step so simple there’s no fear of failure. Then sort the entire process into easily-achievable goals, put each task on a timeline, and schedule daily or weekly time for your teen to work towards their goals. Finally, make sure to celebrate their successes. Each micro-goal they complete is a milestone.

3. Time Travel

Teach teens to put themselves in the shoes of their future selves. The “time travel” strategy, developed by psychologist and researcher Fuschia Sirois, uses visualization to imagine how great it will feel to complete a task successfully or attain an aim. Teens can travel through time to envision the outcome of any goal, and visualization can also help them imagine solutions to problems and setbacks they encounter along the way. By engaging teens emotionally, visualization motivates them to stay aligned with their dreams for the future.

4. An award-winning planner

Digital calendars, tracking tools, and reminders all help teens stay organized, but for developing executive function skills, a paper planner may still be best. Writing things down helps teens organize their thoughts, visualize a plan, and feel in control. Academic and parenting coach Leslie Joesel created the Order Out Of Chaos academic planner specifically to help teens focus, prioritize, and manage their time and tasks effectively. The planner\’s practical design includes school assignments placed alongside extracurricular and weekend activities, a Next Week/Notes section to help teens track complex projects, and visual aids that make it a cinch to use.

5. Analog clocks

Besides paper planners, Joesel offers another old-school time management hack for parents: analog clocks. In this YouTube video, Joesel says analog clocks help kids visualize the movement of time, which better prepares them to manage it. “The problem with digital is that digital only gives you one time: the present, so you can’t see what came before it, how much time you have left, or (see)… time move.” Joesel encourages parents to put an analog clock in every room their teen spends time in, including the bedroom, bathroom, and wherever they do their homework. Time management strategists say analog watches are great for teens, too.

6. Reward Substitution

Digital devices and social media distraction are a huge hurdle for teens who are learning time management. Since limiting screen time is not always an option, parents also need to help teens develop internal controls to dial down the temptation. One simple but effective strategy is Reward Substitution, created by behavioral economics professor Dan Ariely. To practice, teens create a habit that links a long-term goal with something immediately fun or relaxing, like rewarding themselves with 15 minutes of game time for each hour of study completed. Experiencing immediate rewards while working towards a long-term goal helps teens stay motivated and get in the habit of managing their time wisely.