Life As Usual

Life as usual…It’s the joy of January! After two months of chaos in our household – all of November with my husband in hospital, and all of December with him recovering at home (not to mention our daughter’s second birthday and dinosaur birthday bash, Christmas, New Year’s, and all the accompanying busyness of the holidays) – life is finally back to normal. I have never before been a fan of January. But this year, I am relishing it as though it were June…

Anyone who has ever studied child development knows the importance of routine. Routine brings order, consistency, and predictability to the life of a child, helping them to make sense of their world. But even more importantly, the predictability of a consistent routine helps little people feel safe and secure in a big and busy world. Never have I seen that demonstrated more clearly than the past couple of days in our home.

After two months of unavoidable chaos, our return to normalcy these past few days has been met with nothing short of jubilation by my just-turned-two-year-old. Playing happily, eating heartily, sleeping (and even napping – it feels like a miracle!) soundly, the value of a routine is written all over her little smiling face.

And it is written on mine. I am a firm believer in the importance of a routine for mommies, too. For me, it is the key to not only my sanity, but also to ensuring we are making the most of each and every precious moment. Show me a mom who is “bored” at any point of her day, and I’ll show you a mommy who hasn’t yet developed a great routine.

The Joy of Order...

And what better time than the New Year to improve a little on your routine! Now is the perfect time to find new activities to enjoy with your little one, or to discover some new ways of getting connected in your community. And while you’re at it, why not sit down and actually think through your daily routine…What’s working? What’s not? And how are you going to change it? Being a truly joyful mommy is all about being intentional – thinking through how you are parenting, and how you will make the most of this most precious and important time in your life and your child’s. Could there be a better New Year's resolution to make? Wishing you all a truly JOYFUL 2011…