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I’ll be the first to admit that my 3-year-old daughter’s routine is strictly enforced by me and her dad. She gets up at 7:30 a.m., eats French toast and strawberries, and is off to school. Dinner is at 5 p.m., and she heads to bed at 7 p.m. on the dot.

It might sound draconian but the stability it provides our family helps everyone feel secure, well-rested, and relaxed. That’s why I completely related to NBC meteorologist Dylan Dreyer’s structured schedule for her own children, which she recently revealed on Instagram.

On Instagram, Dreyer posted her comprehensive weekly calendar for her mother-in-law, who often babysits her three sons, Calvin, Oliver, and Rusty. She asked her viewers if the instructions were “helpful or impossibly annoying.”

 

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Kids (and Parents) Need a Reliable Schedule

Listen, I understand that there is an argument to be made for giving up some of your parental control when your child is in the hands of a babysitter. Parents should trust that the caregivers they choose have their kids best interests at heart, even if they sometimes stray from your guidance or disagree with your parenting style.

But ultimately, I think this rigorous schedule, which provides specific times for extracurricular activities and bath time, is an act of kindness and generosity on Dreyer’s part. She’s giving her mother-in-law all the tools she needs to reduce the stress that must surely come with taking care of three kids with different schedules, interests, and dietary requirements.

“I think she finds it helpful so she doesn’t have to think and can instead just enjoy the boys,” Dreyer told Today.

The schedule also indicates what Dreyer’s mother-in-law should pack in her kids’ backpacks. And because almost all kids at one point or another are picky eaters, it includes a list of meals to serve each day (some of which are already prepared and waiting for her in the refrigerator!)—an incredibly helpful element when you are trying to convince kids to eat after an already long day of caregiving.

Honestly, Dreyer might also be putting the schedule together for selfish reasons: Once you get your kids on a reliable schedule, the days pass by more smoothly, which means less stress for you and your family. If a week without Mom and Dad at home disrupts that schedule, getting them back on track only makes their lives harder—that’s why getting the babysitter on the same page helps everyone (kids and sitter included) feel more comfortable in the long run.

Either way, Dreyer’s detailed schedule definitely does not qualify as “impossibly annoying.” It’s a smart way to make sure her kids have a stable home life, and can enjoy their grandmother’s company without worrying about what to eat or if they have all the right gear in their backpacks. The grandparents who babysit have already raised their own kids—they deserve all the help they can get if they are generous enough to take on child care for the next generation.