INTERNATIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH CARE NETWORK

17 MAY 2000
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The Routines of Daily Life

Cottage routines or chores are an essential part of the child-care worker’s regular daily practice diet. They are a constant for the children as well. Morning routines before breakfast or before going to school and chores each afternoon after returning from school and before activities begin often seem to be viewed by all as negative. The following definition of "routine" taken from in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, when taken literally, becomes a definition of the problem as well: "A prescribed and detailed course of action to be followed regularly: a standard procedure . . . a set of customary and often mechanically procedures or activities." To do something in a routine way is to imply that it is lacking in interest, to do it in accordance with established procedure, in a habitual or regular way. In addition, tasks preformed in routine ways are "lacking in interest or originality." It seems small wonder that these tasks are continual problems for children and staff members.

Might turning to the definition of "chores" provide greater inspiration? Not at all. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a chore as "A routine or minor task; any daily or routine domestic task." It further qualifies a chore as "an unpleasant or burdensome task." When child-care workers perceive routines or chores in this manner, they will inevitably have to use coercion and exercises of power to get the children to do these "prescribed and detailed courses of action."

Would it not be better to view these tasks as a part of the group’s total program and approach them differently? By involving the group in defining the scope of the domestic tasks and the best means for dealing with them through group process, the group could do its own prescribing and detailing of how the domestic work is to be done within the general guidelines set down by the child-care workers. The staff would then be placed in a facilitating rather than an enforcing position. The tasks would not be performed mechanically or in a rote way but rather according to the group’s own plan, which would be subject to review in a later meeting if flaws were detected in it.

Herbert Barnes, 1991.

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