How to Help Your Child Stick with a Plan: Building Planning Habits for Kids
- Brigid McCormick
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
Making Planning Routines Work for Real Life
So you’ve set up a checklist. You made a weekly planner. Your child helped create the routine.
And then… it lasts about two days.
You’re not failing—and your child isn’t either.
Following through on plans is one of the hardest executive functioning skills for kids to develop — which is why building consistent planning habits for kids takes time, repetition, and support.
Here’s how to help your child build lasting planning habits—without turning it into a power struggle.
Step 1: Talk About the “Why Behind Planning Habits for Kids”
Before kids can follow a plan, they need to understand why it matters.
Use kid-friendly reasons like:
“Checklists help your brain remember stuff so it doesn’t feel overwhelmed.”
“When we follow a routine, we have more time for fun things later.”
“Packing your bag means you don’t have to rush in the morning.”
When kids know what’s in it for them, they’re more motivated to stick with it.
Step 2: Turn Planning Habits for Kids Into Routines
If the checklist or planner feels like one more chore, it won’t last.
Instead, build it into what they already do. For example:
Tape the morning checklist to the bathroom mirror
Keep the weekly planner next to the breakfast table and review it together
Have your child move a magnet or sticker as they complete each step
Make the tool part of the routine, not something that interrupts it.
Step 3: Reinforce Effort, Not Just Results
Don’t wait for a perfectly followed plan before you praise your child.
Try:
“I noticed you checked off two steps this morning—awesome start.”
“Thanks for remembering to pack your bag before I reminded you.”
“You looked at your planner today without me asking. High five.”
Reinforce the process, and kids will be more likely to keep trying — an essential part of developing strong planning habits for kids.
Step 4: Adjust the System—Together
If something isn’t working, don’t scrap the whole plan—tweak it with your child.
Ask:
“What part is hard to remember?”
“What would make it easier?”
“Should we change the order or the way it looks?”
The more ownership kids have, the stronger their planning habits will become.
Step 5: Celebrate Small Wins
Whether it’s a sticker, a dance break, or a quiet “I did it,” recognizing small successes builds momentum.
You can even create a “Planning Wins” jar and add a marble or paper slip each time your child sticks with the routine.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress over time.
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