Abstract

This research aims to study, for the first time in the Italian context, the frequency and relevance of family routines and rituals during the pre-school stage in a non-clinical children group. The paper presents the results of a family survey of 321 subjects in order to investigate how the routine importance and the rituals meanings are associated with changes in children well-being. The findings highlight how the everyday can be regarded as a stable structure ("scaffolding") that by organizing routines, roles and rituals enhances adaptive behavior in children during the preschool age.