Going on a recent road trip, I enjoyed a break from the monotony of the routine. In particularly with respect to bedtime ritual. The bedtime routine was especially modified those nights we stayed in a motel.
While a routine may give the guise of looking simple, it is anything but. It takes a lot of work to force your determined toddler daughter to switch gears and get ready for bed. Case in point, one night in the motel she was determined to repeatedly empty and refill the room’s garbage can.
(I hope she maintains this sense of purposefulness and.determination throughout her life.)
The point is, the easy thing to do would be to let her keep organizing and disorganizing the garbage can.
It takes work to go against the motives and agenda of a determined toddler. It takes energy. It takes a determined adult—a category which I confess I am not always a part of.
I know rules and structure are healthy for kids (and adults!)— but I had fun taking a break from the routine for a couple days.
Mindful Nuggets 