Routines and Connection
Children and adults come to rely on routines as symbolic representations and the lived reality of how people care for them and how they care for others. It is in the intentional, repeated (not repetitive), and predictable ways we part from and greet one another, adults and children alike, which help us know that we belong, that we matter, and that there are certain things unique to our relationships which make those relationships special and each of us special in them. While many people say hello, goodbye, give hugs, smile, say good morning or other acknowledgements to children, spouses, friends, and teachers every day, it is the way in which we do it, the remembering to do it (or forgetting and then remembering to do it), and the empathy, love, and genuine affection that are conveyed in these routines which help us feel alive and part of something larger than ourselves. These are the foundations and building blocks of attachment and connectedness.
Post by: Sarah Wilhelms