This Morning Routine Helped Save My Sanity With 2 Under 2
Mornings are such an important part of the day for little ones and it can set the tone for the rest of the day. You know how it’s important for us to consider the nutrients we’re putting in our bodies at the start of the day (protein, protein, protein) so we don’t have a sugar spike → crash?
It’s the same premise here. Enter Moments of Reconnection.
When our little guys with their little underdeveloped brains wake up after a long night of being away from their favorite person who they now have to share with this new crying alien, they need a moment of reconnection with you.
In that moment of reconnection with you, consider ways you can let them know how special they are, how much they matter to you, and that they are important. We can predict that we will have many moments throughout the day where we need to move our energy away from our little one to tend to things like our baby, household chores, or taking care of our needs, With that in mind, the moment of reconnection can be a sweet, intentional moment for us to seek them out, lean in, move towards them, and linger.
Connection and presence without needing to tend to something else or move away from them, even if it’s only 2 minutes, is such a gift and sets the tone that they matter to you.
Try this:
Sing a silly good morning song with their name in it that you sing to them every morning.
Offer a morning hug when you reconnect in the morning, making sure you hold the hug longer than them. You can be silly and dramatic about it if you like, too: “Nooo! Don’t leave! I love you! I love your hugs!” This can sometimes cause bursts of silly laughter in our home alongside a remark that sounds like “Mom, I have things I need to do now!”
Lay the baby in a safe, neutral spot (not in your arms) for you guys to connect and play with the baby together.
The night before, set something up for them on the table to do in the morning as a buffer. Those early days with a newborn were rough and challenging to make a perfect moment of reconnection with my daughter. Waking up to a basket of random (safe) toys or a craft was a way she felt thought about.
Your basket can include just about anything but the more random the better: pom poms and cupcake liners, toys she hasn’t played with in forever, timers, sticky notes, invisible marker coloring sheets, etc.
Talk to your child about something special they’re doing with you later in the day or go over their morning together. An example of what this can sound like:
“Today, we are eating eggs and toast for breakfast. Then we are going to brush our teeth with your new toothbrush. Next, we are going to do book time while I drink my coffee in the backyard.. We get to go to the grocery store later this afternoon just you and me while our baby stays home with daddy”
Check in with how you’re doing first. Make sure you’ve taken a breath for yourself to let go of or contain any difficult emotions for the time being. This does not mean ignore your needs. It means- notice if your anger about your toddler’s morning tears are really about your toddler… or more about you feeling overwhelmed, sleep deprived, etc. It’s perfectly normal and okay to be in survival mode but it’s also important to take responsibility of our own emotions and offer repair to our little guys when we mess up (which we all will). Remember: Presence over Perfection.
Example of a repair might sound like:
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I snapped at you and raised my voice. Mommy made a mistake because I’m tired. That wasn’t about you.”
What do you think? Any other ideas you’d add that have helped save your sanity with 2 under 2? or 3 under 3? Let me know below.
