Recently I overheard M taking to someone about how she felt given the current new normal. She explained that she felt happy because she was spending lots of extra time her family and sad because she missed her friends. Then she said, “I also feel really weird. I don’t know when I’m going back to school. I actually don’t even know what day it is.”

Isn’t that the truth?

M is organized and very very VERY structured. When life began to shift, I immediately knew that I needed to create a new rhythm to our days so that she could survive the world as she knew it being flipped completely upside down. Hence the schedule. What I didn’t realize was her need to be grounded in her life in general, beginning with the day of the week. Something so practical and I had completely overlooked its importance.

Even though life feels so complicated and so very uncertain, the needs of our children remain very simple. They need to know they are safe. They need to know they are loved. They need us to have hope. They need to be hugged. They need us to laugh with them, read to them, look at them. They need us to play. They need us to tell them what day it is.

Now each morning we have a little meeting over breakfast. We talk about the day of the week, our work/jobs for the day, and something to look forward to like a backyard picnic or a special art project. I can see it grounding her. It’s grounding me too.

I’m grateful for the blessing of simplicity that lives in our children. May that ground us all as we journey on together.

Find the joy,

Jessica

Jessica McCauley, M.Ed. is a parenting coach/consultant. She draws on her background as a Montessori educator and Child Life Specialist to help families navigate the challenges of the early childhood years. Contact Jessica at http://smallhandsbigsteps.com/contact/ for more information or to schedule a consultation.