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Toddler Step #3: Consistency and Routine Brings Sanity
By Cindy | November 2, 2007
Table of contents for Toddler Steps
Sound familiar?
- My toddler stayed up 20 minutes past his bedtime. He’s happy one minute and crying the next.
- My toddler had to wait 15 minutes later before getting lunch. He whined the whole trip in the car before we had a chance to pull over and grab a quick lunch.
- My little one missed nap time. The whole afternoon has been fraught with tantrums and fussing.
Consistency helps maintain a happy toddler as well as parent. When their routine misses a beat, we find ourselves dealing with the repercussions. It is natural that we need routines in our lives. A toddler doesn’t understand why or how to deal with the inconsistencies we sometimes throw at them. As adults, we’ve learned how to deal with changes, but our bodies still crave a sense of consistency and routine. Do you recognize your signals when you missed your routines? Are you slightly more grumpy, edgy, or moody? Most of us shrug off the things we need to do to keep our sanity. Just as we are aware of our children’s trigger points for consistency and routine, we need to care for our own.
Think of the following trigger points for yourself. Do you remember when you listened to your body and how much better you felt when you remained consistent? With a few small steps, being aware of your trigger points will help bring sanity to your lifestyle:
- Sleep: Are you getting enough? Are you going to bed at a decent hour? Are you waking up at a consistent time?
- Meal Planning: Are you maintaining regular “refueling” meals and snacks for yourself. I know you’re taking care of the little ones, but how about yourself?
- Quiet Time: Do you have five minute break times scheduled throughout the day to devote to complete silence. Stop, breathe, and catch yourself before you go into overdrive. This may sound like an impossible task, but try to work in one session a day and build up to three. You’ll be amazed by the energy boost those 10 minutes will bring to the rest of the day.
- Pre-Planning: Do you know what you want to accomplish tomorrow? Go through your list the night before and don’t panic. Try to focus on the “must dos” and keep those to a minimum. Tackle your other lists as extra credit!
- Workout: You body needs the movement. What you do to workout isn’t as important as actually getting your blood flowing and your muscles active. Incorporate time somewhere in to your days. You’ll start feeling better physically and mentally.
Our children’s natural tendencies demonstrate what we manage to hide in ourselves. Consistency and Routine are essential for their happiness as well as ours. It makes perfect sense that our routines for ourselves have just as much influence on our family. What routines do you know are essential to maintaining your sanity? Are you staying consistent?
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Topics: Fitness Knowledge, Health Knowledge |