27/05/2025
As I got my 16 month old ready for her bath tonight, she found a babydoll in the room. She came to show me her baby, wrapped in a little blanket.
At first I did not pay much attention to this, since I was determined to get her bathed before it got to cold. I realized after a while that she was unusually quiet, so I turned around to see what she was up to, and I as shocked!
There she was, preforming our nightly bedtime routine, with the exact actions that I use on her!
She lays on her tummy and I cover her with a blanket (*disclaimer-I do not cover her head😅)
I then make myself comfortable next to her, put my arm around her body and pat-pat-pat untill I hear her breath steadily slow down into a deep sleep.
And there she was. At 16 months, replicating our routine, without any prompting or reminders from my side.
I preach to my therapy parents: "Routine, follow a routine. Talk through your actions. Repeat it everyday!"
And here, without even realizing it, my own little one, who is lazy to talk, is starting to demonstrate the benefits of a routine!
I now wonder, how many other actions of daily living are we missing, while we rush to get her in and out of the bath, dinner in her tummy and a storybook before bed.
My mommy-therapist moment for this week is to be present. Be aware of what she is doing and continue using our routine. Maybe even introduce another one or two 😋😉
