We've been rocking our little behavior schedule for a couple years now. I first created it when Gabe turned two while I was on maternity leave with Ella. I needed a way to structure our day so that, at the end, all of the details didn't fall into the black hole of kid-driven angst.
Kids respond so much better to the day if I can get my act together to promote structure. Gabriel often asked, "who will I see tomorrow," and acted kind of overworked when the day's activities were left entirely to him.
So to make our day more visual, I just created the file in Word, laminated it, drew on icons, and added some magnetic tape to the back.
Here is how we use it:
In the morning, at breakfast, I talk with the kids about the weather (they select the icon that represents the climate outside), what we did yesterday, and what day of the week it is. We chat about who we will see for the day and what we want to do. They select the appropriate icons for each.
Now that Ella is older, she can better participate and we added some blocks for her. Each kid is on a star system and we set goals for each. Typically, three stars equal ice cream for the family (group contingent reinforcer), and if they want to save their stars until they get five, it is worth a small prize (individual reinforcer). Usually, they earn stars for things like staying in their bed at night or for potty training success.
If you are interested, here are Google Doc templates that you can make your own of:
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