Routines...

Those are pretty important to me. I'm a person that craves structure. I think that my little people do, too.

We have a morning routine and today -- we are not in it. Usually, after M wakes up, he comes downstairs and can watch some cartoons and chill out while I put away dishes from the dishwasher, clean the kitchen, and check my email. Well, as a result of a MAJOR tantrum last night going to bed, there is no tv today. No computer today. Period. End of sentence.

You'd think that we moved and I am speaking a foreign language or something. He remembered no tv and it was like "But what do I do?" Now -- before you think I have a total tv head who just vegetates in front of it all day long, that's not the case. He gets to watch it first thing in the morning and while I make dinner. The rest of the day it's music only. I thought he'd have a complete fit about it, but it's just that tv is part of his morning routine and now I've changed it. (Sort of like no cup of coffee first thing -- feels different.) I think that for him -- it took a minute to realize that he could do what he does the rest of the day -- play with the gazillion and two toys he has around here, playdough, color, read, whatever. Currently, he's happy as a clam looking at the Cars cards I cut off of the cereal box for him and eating his cheerios and blueberries.

I just thought that was interesting. He wasn't upset about the no tv thing, he was more confused about "What now?" since I took him out of his routine. I thought how easy it is to view kids as just CHILDREN and forget about the actual PERSON part of their makeup. He really craves structure and routine as much as I do -- I like to fly by the seat of my pants now and then -- I can be flexible and spontaneous, but for the most part, I'd like to have some predictability.

Looks like I'm not alone.