The ritual of going to bed, the ritual of taking food - these are phrases that are often heard from the lips of child psychologists. The word ritual is very familiar to psychologists and educators working with young children. However, few parents know what it is and how it can help in raising a child. And various rituals can help enormously!
At first glance, it seems that the ritual is something very complex and incomprehensible. In fact, everything is simple. In relation to raising a child, a ritual is, in fact, a monotonous repetition of any sequence of actions. The child's psyche loves rhythm. Surely, if you are a young mother, you have noticed that it is easier for a child, for example, to fall asleep or eat at the same time. The daily routine is one of the manifestations of the rhythm of the child's psyche.
This feature can also be used for educational purposes. This is especially true for excitable, active children. To make it easier for your baby to sleep in the evening, create a bedtime ritual. This is a sequence of actions that you will follow with your child from day to day at about the same time. For example, dinner, then bathing, putting on your pajamas and going to bed. At first this may seem like a trifle, but if you adhere to strictly selected actions, soon the child will subconsciously begin to tune in to sleep immediately after dinner.
If your child does not sit well during lunch, you can use the ritual too. My son and I, coming from a walk, always wash our hands first, then sit down on the potty and change into home clothes. Then we go to the kitchen to eat. It is better to always eat food at the same time, from personal children's dishes in one place at the table or in a special chair. You do not need to feed the baby on your lap first, and the next day from the highchair. All actions must be performed in the same way at all times. Only then will the ritual actually work.
Remember that the daily routine, the repetition of a chain of identical actions, works on the subconscious. The child himself does not understand this. And his nervous system is already being tuned.
Of course, deviations from the rituals are possible. But try to keep it minimal. For example, if you are going to feed your child outside the home, take all of his utensils with you.
The ritual can include not only actions, but also words. For example, "Bon appetit!" before meals, "good night, kid!" before bedtime can also be part of the ritual.
Observance of various rituals is especially important if your child is easily aroused. The more uncertainty about what you and your child will do at each next moment, the more his nervous system is shaken.
This article provides just two examples of rituals. You can create your own for any situation. For example, it is very useful to have a "goodbye to mom" ritual and use it from the very first day of visiting the kindergarten.
Dare, come up with, use rituals. This may seem boring to you. But believe me, rituals will be useful for the still fragile nervous system and psyche of the child. Over time, you will certainly feel the result.
