At the age of three, routine is everything.
The experts tell us, the routine is terribly important to kids: They can’t tell time so the routine tells them when to get dressed and when to take a bath; what to do when they wake up and when to drift off to sleep.
As a mom, I strive to keep my son’s routine as uninterrupted as possible.
I do that, even though I know as he gets older he will learn there is one constant in life— not routine, but change.
Amy Schroder, manager of parent education at Hartford Hospital, points out that change is a huge part of parenting.
“You finally become an expert at one stage of your child’s life,” Schroder says, “and then, guess what? They grow and you have to start from scratch. You’re a beginner again.”
A few weeks ago, I started over, taking on a new position at Hartford Hospital. Change has come to our home and shaken up the routine for all of us.
For the past year, I have had the privilege of sharing my own parenting challenges, sharing the joy and tears that define motherhood with thousands of readers. It’s given me a newfound strength as I have learned we are all in this together. Mothers of all ages have an incredible, indelible and unshakable bond.
We run households as well as companies. We are doctors who take care of the sick for a living and we nurse our little ones when they need us. We are reporters who fight to give a voice to the voiceless as we help our children find their voices. But first and foremost, we are mothers.
And together, we are a force to be reckoned with.
Years from now, I imagine my son will ask me why I left a career I loved.
I imagine I will tell him there is no one, simple answer. That I have learned it is important to learn from the past, but not get mired in it; and to pay attention to the part deep inside that lets you know when it’s time to move on.
Change is invigorating to the spirit. It keeps us growing, forcing us to learn new skills. Change, I believe, is as important to an adult’s growth as routine is to a toddler’s. I look forward to sharing those changes with you.
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I’m a mom of 2 boys. One son we had while being in a military family and while I loved routine, I found that I also needed to teach my children that you have to deal with change. It is a thing that is hard to teach, hard to deal with even as an adult but I’m thankful that we do teach the need for routine and change. What a mix. Keep up the good work and great blog by the way. As a mom, and a business owner, I totally get what you are writing about.
You are an inspiration Becca Stew! Great blog. Baby C is lucky to have you as his mommy. Keep on dreaming and reaching for the stars… You deserve every bit of it!
~kmc