A: Understanding why repetition and routine are important to a child’s development is one way to avoid the blues.
While children have been learning at home, parents have had to ramp up the number of times they repeat themselves when giving instructions and setting expectations. Parents have also found themselves creating and keeping new routines to ensure everyone is able to make it successfully through the day. This can cause a creative drag on spontaneity and whimsical engagement.
However, routines help children feel safe and in control of their environment. This fosters confidence and self-regulation.
Repetitive communication supports a child’s memory and recall mechanism formed within the brain. The more something is repeated or rehearsed, the more the brain can connect the information and store it within the long-term memory.
“Pick up your socks, make your bed, and time for school,” are routine classics that are repeated until everyone is blue in the face. But they serve a greater purpose in the brain’s overall development.
To make it more enjoyable for the adult and child, reclaim whimsy by attaching the rehearsed communication or routine to a dance or song.
Happy Learning,
Mrs. Pizzo
