structure
How should I structure the day?
4 min read
When you cannot remember what just happened or predict what comes next, the day is a series of surprises. A repeating shape does the remembering for them. Anchor the day with three fixed points — getting up, the main meal, bedtime — and let everything else float.
What to try
- 1Fix the three anchors and keep them at the same time daily.
- 2Plan demanding things for their best hours, which for most people is late morning.
- 3Alternate activity with rest. Two short good spells beat one long one that ends badly.
- 4Give them a job with a real purpose: folding towels, drying cutlery, sorting socks, watering plants.
What to avoid
- A schedule so full it becomes another source of pressure.
- Filling the day with television, which often increases restlessness.
- Children’s activities, or anything that would embarrass an adult.
When they follow you everywhere
Shadowing is anxiety about being left, not clinginess. Give them a task in the same room as you rather than sending them elsewhere, and say out loud what you are doing and when you will be back — even for two minutes.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Not checked against published guidance. Treat this as a starting point and confirm anything important with a professional.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.