Routine

Children love routine.  They thrive on it.  I think I always knew that; of course, you learn it in any parenting class you take or parenting book you read.  But it is truly a magical thing when you see it working in your life.

I don't think I really embraced the concept of routine until I moved in here, to my parents house.  My mother is a much STRICTER mother than I was, so I had to adapt my parenting techniques to fit her expectations.  This meant baths every night because she really does not like stinky children.  So we started bathing them every night.  At first I had a lot of help from my mom, but, over time, she withdrew, and I have been doing it all on my own for several months now.  Every evening, we eat dinner, and then take baths (one by one) and then go to bed (one or two at a time)...  It is a predictable routine that helps the children AND me to know what to expect.

Specifically, this afternoon, I was struck by the bedtime/naptime routine for Janey.  We walked in the door from picking up Derek and Breanna from school, and she threw a massive fit.  She wanted candy that was in the car.  I locked the front door to the house (regular lock and floor lock, mind you) so she couldn't get out.  Well, she got out.  In like 3 seconds.  So I chased her down, swatted her bottom, brought her in, locked the door again, and let her yell at me.  Suddenly, the lightbulb - NAPTIME!  I got her cup ready.  I went in and playfully, but aggressively changed her diaper.  She was fighting back, but somehow cooperatively because it was almost a game.  I told the bigger kids to say "Good night, Janey!" and they did, to which she responded "NOOOO!"  I brought her upstairs to her room and she fought me the whole way - "I want Grandma!"  "She's not here" "I want kisses from Grandma" "She's not here."  Then into her room.  "Do you want 'Rock a baby'?"  "No."  I rocked her and sang to her anyway.  She smiled.  I kept singing, and gave her the cup.  I set her down, set up her pillow and blanket, tucked her in.  I leaned down for my kiss and she gave me one.  "Hug, hug, hug!" she said.  I hugged her and kissed her again.  "Good night Janey, I love you."  "I love you, Mommy."

Magic.