How long do you have to do something before it becomes a tradition? I don't know, but the last couple of weeks Stefan and I have been adding something into our daily routine and we're both loving it. Maybe it has something to do with it being apple season? I'm not sure. Anyway, when Stefan wakes up from his afternoon nap we always sit down with some cut up apples and peanut butter (Love that combination, and my son is following in my footsteps!) and a stack of books. You'll just have to imagine me sitting there with Stefan because I couldn't take a picture of us together. Anyway, we have such a nice time reading together and we usually get through a lot of books in the 20 or so minutes that we do it.
Besides being a good Mommy/son time, good for reading, etc, it also helps the rest of the afternoon go smoothly. I've heard it called the "witching hour" but in any case if you are a parent of small children you know that the late afternoon time can be the fussiest, crankiest time of the day. Usually this is the time that the most whining takes place, discipline issues increase, and of course this is when the littlest member wants to be in my arms and not playing on the floor. Not to mention that as a Mom you're pretty tired out yourself and dinner needs to get on the table. Somehow. Yes, it can be a frustrating couple of hours. Everyone is ready for a change of scenery (i.e. Daddy coming home!). I've found that I can either get cranky right along with my children, or I can embrace that time and find ways to make it better. This is when I need to be the most on my guard as a Mom to be preventative. Seeing discipline issues before they arise. Doing what I can to make those couple of hours go smoothly.
This is one of those things. It is amazing how when I give Stefan 20 minutes of focused time he is much happier for the rest of the afternoon. It's kind of that transition from nap time back to the reality of the day. He will usually very willingly either play on his own while I get dinner, or help me ~sweetly!~ with the dinner prep once he has had some "special" time with me.
I don't know how long we'll keep up this little ritual but for right now I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is so rewarding. We've gotten through books that at other times are more difficult to sit through (like three French books right in a row!). We just enjoy being together, and then I have a happier, sweeter boy, to boot! I'd say it's a good routine and it's working for us right now.
