Th routines of the morning!

 

I was back in our garden after three days after returning from my travel. The squirrel was the first to spot me and kept glancing at me. It was the twilight time and the squirrel who is resident in our garden stopped to see if I was leaving food in the feeding station. 

No sooner had I left some bananas in the feeding tray, a Bulbul arrived, followed by others. Two of them waited for me to move out before they started to feed. 

Some birds are familiar with some rituals and become familiar with  people. 

Dulcie and Daffny indicated strongly how much they missed seeing me for a few days. 

Anna mentioned how both of the needed extra attention. They too have a rhythm of Anna taking them for a walk. My turn is in the morning. Dulcie would want to come with me when I go to collect the newspaper from the gate at day break. Daffny would want to come with me when I go to open the gates. It is when I return after this I fill the trays for the birds. Often they would have arrived to perch in the trees around the feeding station. 

I felt good to return to the rhythm at day break after a few days. 

I got a sense of how much birds and canines develop an attachment to som routines. 

During my years of involvement with parents, I have had parents talking about the struggle of introducing a rhythm to children. They follow the rhythm only if each activity is made interesting. It is easier for a  child to want to brush the teeth, if the tooth brushe musical. It is easier if they have time for water play before being bathed. It might be easier if a pre-school child be told, what would follow after breakfast, to make the breakfast time easier. If the activity that was to follow after breakfast, was something that would be amusing, the time taken for breakfast will usually be short!

The routines need the enticement of a playful approach for a pre-school child. The stress of forcing to perform an activity is a burden to parents and the child. 

The Birds have a rhythm. They groom their body every morning to make the flight easier. 

It is when children find a pleasant experience, they would welcome an activity! 

To introduce sound child development practices to pre-school children, parents need to use ways to make them appealing to a pre-school child! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)