Rhythm or Routine? Isn't it the same thing?

+JMJ+

No, not really. I'd go so far as to say routines are a facet of rhythms.

Hey! If we haven't met already, my name is Maria, and I am an early childhood educator that recently came back to the Church (you can read more about me here).

Now, I'm raising three kids and using my knowledge in the foundational years of life to build a solid foundation for my children.

In case you missed the post on the importance of rhythm, the gist of it is: a rhythm creates a predictable way for children to tell time. Whether we are talking about the change of seasons helping tell time in a year, or the way we spend our days, we are teaching our children to be "in" time.

We have to remember: When babies are born, they don't have a great grasp of the concept of time. The only way that they can understand the passing of time is by the things that they learn with their environment.

For example: It's light during the day, and dark during the night. That's the rhythm of days and nights.

Now- back to rhythms and routines.

Rhythm is defined as "the organized flow of movement through time."

Routine, on the other hand, is "a sequence of actions regularly followed."

They are very similar concepts, but I would argue that in order to have a routine, you must first have a rhythm to your day. The routine will follow and build itself around the rhythm that you have.

For instance, a rhythm for a child might look like "wake up, eat breakfast, get ready, go outside, have lunch, take naps, eat dinner, play, bathe, and sleep"

A routine within that would be

Get Ready:

1. go to the bathroom

2. get dressed

3. brush teeth

4. put on shoes

Don't misunderstand me, routines build discipline, and that is important. But, implementing a rhythm for the home must take priority over expecting structure, especially from younger children.

In early childhood, it is important to extend grace and patience to our children.

We have to remember that they are just little, and they are just learning.

If we focus on establishing a predictable rhythm in our lives and in our homes, our children will learn to expect the next move, and they will happily do so.

Mama, it's not easy. Especially in a season of motherhood that feels like the absolute trenches.

Let me tell you, two under two was absolutely no joke for me.

Sometimes, it feels like I can barely catch up.

Here's my suggestion:

Write down your expectation of how you want your day to go. I'm talking in VERY GENERAL TERMS. Just because you are an adult doesn't mean that you won't struggle with the discipline that is needed to create a predictable rhythm for kids. Change is hard.

Then, do your best to check each item off!

The more we practice, the more peaceful our homes will be.

I'm sharing with you two sample rhythms I've used myself, in hopes of reaching working and stay-at-home mamas alike!