When my kids were small, they sometimes struggled with what parents at the time (and maybe still?) called transitions. The change from home to playgroup, or from playgroup to preschool, or even home to grandparents’ houses and back could be accompanied with wailing and gnashing of teeth. I have said before that the world is pretty much entirely populated with toddlers, some of us better disguised than others. We all struggle with transition and change.
As we contemplate the year to come and the good and necessary changes we want to make, we may find our excitement tempered by anxiety or fear. Then when we get to doing the work of change, we may discover that we still have a tantrum or two left in us. This is natural and fine. We like routines. We like the comfort of the usual. Adapting to a new schedule or a new activity takes energy and fortitude.
We need to be kind but firm with our inner toddler. We can say to ourselves that it is all right not to like the new thing we have to do, but we still have to do it. We can bribe ourselves with treats (like a nap!). We can patiently explain that this is for our own good. Eventually, the kicking and screaming will stop and we will adjust.
Again: I’m still here to help.
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