Rituals

I am always amazed at how important rituals are for my kids. But that's what makes them feel safe in their world so I oblige. I don't know how these became rituals...but they are in my family.

My youngest refuses to go to sleep without her "animal blanky." But this blanket must have the animals with their feet facing downward toward her feet. Just refuses to even shut her eyes unless the animals are the right way. She likes it when I kiss her cheeks a certain way. And even when it comes to cleaning, she loves cleaning the sink a certain way.

As for my first kid, she loves drinking her milk in the morning with a stuffed animal/blanket by her side...but it has to be something with one of those "new material' tags as she holds it and rubs it while she's drinking her milk. She also likes two sets of hugs and kisses before bed time. And she really likes her blanket lying a certain way too.

I wonder how these rituals will look like when they get older. But I can totally deal with these rituals. Now the "not picking up after myself" ritual is not so fun.