Routines & Rituals

While routines provide continuity, comfort and security for children, rituals provide children with the opportunity to build connections with others. In a sense, rituals are routines with 'extra sparkle.' Families often have rituals associated with holidays and birthdays. For example, in our family we always start a birthday off with the child's favorite breakfast and put candles in it! This year I didn't have a 7 candle for my son and he was not about to let me off the hook. He put a 6 and 1 in his pancake and we sang to him that way. He knew that that is what we did for birthdays and he was planning on it.

Routines comfort children an serve as cues for what is expected of them, giving children a sense of control over their environment. When a child know what will happen next and what is expected of him, he will be better able to participate and to act independently, which is an important developmental step.

IDEA: Plan for simple, fun ways to add the sparkle to your everyday routines that will turn them into special rituals. A 'wake up' poem in the morning, a posted schedule for the day, a special place mat at lunch, letting everyone tell about one favorite part of their day around the dinner table, a family dance, and a lullaby sung before bedtime at night-any of these are the kinds of little things that can add joy and predictability to your child's day.