RHYTHM, MEALS AND SLEEP
The first year of the baby's life is so full of learning tasks and physical changes, that regular activities in the home and a safe, familiar environment are of great comfort and support to them. Creating rhythm in daily life can be an immense help both for the parents and for the baby. Since the newborn comes from a place where there is very little variation or rhythm, he has to get used to the difference between day and night. We can help him find rhythm in waking, meals, and sleep by trying to do these things at regular times. This can be quite challenging the first year.
Of course, it's good to go with the flow and not get stressed about schedule keeping, but encouraging the rhythms that arise naturally can help you establish them, and eventually, it helps the baby find his own rhythm. It can also be very strengthening and reassuring for the parents and family to be in a rhythm of regular meals and sleep, hard as that may seem to start doing. Once the rhythm is established, it begins to carry itself with less and less need to be reinforced.
Having regular meals is also healthier for the body by giving the digestive system time to rest and time for the digestive juices to prepare for a meal.
Feeding the Young, 1850 by Millet
Madonna by Anders Leonard Zorn
Conscious Parenting Guide www.consciousparentingguide.com 2009
Welcome About conscious parenting About the site Disclaimer and copyright Bibliography Site map Contact
Copyright © Julie Le Gal Brodeur 2009 Updated July 28, 2010