As you know, we try hard to follow routines with he little guy.  He wakes up and has the same “rhythm” thru the day.  The rhythm we follow for him follows a loose beat, mainly around the following: wake up – eat – activity – snack – activity – sleep – lunch – activity – snack – activity – snack – activity – dinner – activity – snack – bottle – bed.  What we do, what he eats, and where these things happen are all variable.

Sometimes, he reminds me that he is a human.  He reminds me when he sleeps longer or shorter than he should, or when he doesn’t eat as much at a meal as he should.  Or when he gets physically tired from playing after only 30 minutes instead of 1 hour.

He’s human, after all, and no-matter how much I try to keep things moving as if he is a robot, as if  he does not have good days, bad days, times when he is not hungry, times when he is just a little tired, it only makes things harder.  I guess a lot of it is to give him a sense of security (routines are tied to a happier kid because on a primal level, they need to know when their next meal is coming), but it is also for my security, too.  I need him to be well-fed to be satisfied, I need to see him playing to be satisfied, and I need him to sleep well at night to get the rest he needs, and also so I can get what I need to be my best for him.

I think it’s a good message for every “new parent” – these little bundles of joy that come into our lives are human, after all.  It’s good to know it and remember it, because the little ones will remind you in their own way anyway 😉