What do I mean by that? Well, parents typically put a lot of work into creating a routine for their children. Once it's in place, and everything is going well, something happens (as it always will) to disrupt the routine. What happens then? Well, the routine goes down the drain. While I've heard that it's hard to create a schedule in our busy and hectic lives, I find the opposite to be true. Schedules and routines are easy. It's sticking to it that's hard.

What do you remember from the first 3 weeks after bringing your first child home from the hospital? One word - chaos. From that point, it's our human nature to want to bring stability and calm to that world of chaos. Sleeping, eating and behavior. They are the three things that - let's face it - if your kids performed perfectly in a day, well, that would just be the perfect day!

This hub is not about creating a routine. There are plenty of sites and hubs created for that topic alone. And if you've gotten this far, you know that kids belong in bed at a certain time and should eat three meals with healthy snacks in between. You probably also know about how to properly discipline a child for poor behavior and how to reinforce good behavior. And we all know that kids will have tantrums when they are tired, hungry or bored. So, with all that said, why is it so hard for us to stick with what works?

Kids get sick, cribs change to beds, diapers become a memory and family parties run late. These are just a few things that happen in our everyday lives that disrupt a seemingly perfect routine. Can your schedule withstand it? The more important question is, can you - the parent - withstand it?

It's hard to say "no" when your oldest child asks to stay up a little later one night. After all, didn't he help clean up the playroom and finish his dinner? How can you say no? Well, the simple answer is, to just say no. It's easier said than done.

My oldest was 6 weeks shy of turning three when his baby brother was born. Oh, and my daughter was born somewhere in the middle. With three kids under the age of three, routine was my saving grace. Naps were at this time, breakfast was served when I said "Breakfast's done!" We had no wiggle room for something to be out of place. But when it happened, as it always seemed to happen, we somehow got through it. Here are some tips I have for sticking with your routine when life gets in the way.

• Just Say No: Seriously, kids will ask for everything and anything, because it doesn't really hurt to ask. Will they remember in the morning when you said no to going to bed 15 minutes later than normal? Probably not. Will you remember how hurt they were 15 minutes after they went to bed? Probably not. Just say no.
• Bounce Back: Late night at your in-laws? Kids go to bed much later than usual? Don't let that mess up your next day's routine. Naps should be held at the normal time and bedtime should be as it was before Grandma's birthday.
• Vacation from home is no vacation from routine: Stick to what you know when you're away from home. Vacation can be fun, but it can also be stressful for a family that is away from the comforts of home. Allow your kids to nap, even if it's in the car while sightseeing.
• Be Consistent: You give a time-out to your son for hitting his sister one day, and the next day you pretend not to see her hitting him back. Consistency is key. Punish bad behavior as much as you reinforce good behavior and it will pay off.

Whatever happens, be sure to let life happen. For all the work that we parents put into routines, we should never be more than slightly peeved when something gets in the way. Because more than likely that "something" is a someone that we love. And caring for a sick family member or celebrating a birthday far outweights the trouble we get for pushing a toddler past his or her limits. But as long as it's not a frequent occurrence, and it's for a good cause, be sure to let life happen. Because if you don't, not only will you miss out, but your children will not know what it means to live a normal life.