The Rhythm of My Day Week 5
Rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm of our class! Rituals are such an important part of all our lives. The rituals associated with waking up, meals, nap, bath, and bedtime give your baby a sense of calm and confidence. He learns to anticipate what will come next and this reassures him about many things in his world, especially that he is taken care of and loved.
I hope our Village rituals have given both of you a sense of belonging and security. From our hello song, through intentional touch, exercise, rocking time, and our good byes, we have built a safe and loving community through our shared rituals.
Learning what to expect builds excitement through anticipation. This effect is also being built through our play with stop and go activities. I’ll personally vouch for the positive effects of learning inhibitory control (self control over one’s movements) through music activities such as these. My son was 18 months old when we first experienced Kindermusik. And the first developmental benefit I saw was when he learned how much fun stop and go activities could be. Around the house, on our daily walks, in the store, at the zoo, we had so much fun going and stopping, I didn’t think we would actually get anywhere – at least not in a hurry. But I could see how he was using this new knowledge to help control his own movements in a variety of situations, stopping at each road (and driveway), watching for carts in the store, or avoiding collisions with our high energy dog. It showed me, again, just how easy learning can be when having fun, and when children begin to really make the connections necessary to “anticipate”.
I look forward seeing you again next week. Thank you for sharing the rhythm of your days with me!
Merry Melodies, Debbie Mondale