The Importance of Rhythm
When I think of schedules, I feel the tension building in my body. My thoughts anxiously skip from task to task as I question whether or not I will be able to do it all as planned.
My heart beats faster, and I feel like I can’t breathe.
I feel like I am running full speed into a dark alley without an escape route, and, not surprisingly, I don’t want to go.
When I think of rhythm, the tension begins to melt, and both my mind and body start to feel in harmony as a sense of ease washes over me.
Why? Because rhythm mirrors our natural state of being while schedules attempt to manipulate it. Allow me to explain.
Patterson & Bradley state, “We are all born into the world of rhythms; the rise and fall of the breath, the beating of your heart, the rising and setting of the sun, the phases of the moon, the seven days of the week, and the changing of the tides and seasons.” The rhythms in both our internal and external worlds support and maintain us as we move from task to task, day by day, week by week.
In the days of our ancestors, people depended directly on nature for the way they chose to live their daily lives. Their lives were more rhythmical and in sync with natural rhythms, and they instinctively knew that these rhythms both fortified their work and were good for them.
With the advent of modern conveniences such as dishwashers and washing machines, we are no longer required to abide by these natural rhythms of daily life. I doubt any of us want to give up these modern conveniences for rhythm. Still, we must add rhythm back into our lives if we wish for our children [especially infants and toddlers] to have a sense of security within their ever-changing world.
When we provide supporting rhythms at home, we help our children connect in a more tangible way to the rhythms of nature. When children have regular external rhythms, their internal rhythms can develop in harmony with their outer world.
Today, when we look at our own lives, we are out of sync, out of sync with the natural world, out of sync with each other, and worst of all–out of sync with ourselves.
Patterson & Bradley write, “We all know that bodily rhythm is an indicator of health or illness. A doctor checks the patient’s internal rhythms of heart, blood pressure, and pulse during an examination. When the patient has irregularities in these rhythms, this may indicate illness.” (p. 32)
Dancy explains rhythm as follows, “Creating a rhythmical home life will nourish you and your child… Because the young child is centered in the body and on imitation, rhythm is one of the most important keys to discipline. It guides the child’s life by creating good habits and helps avoid arguments and problems.” (Kindle Loc 2071)
A predictable rhythm has psychological benefits as well–it gives us a sense of security if we know what is going to happen. Imagine if we had to wonder every morning whether the sun was going to rise? Now imagine how your newborn child must feel without rhythm.
Creating a rhythm for our lives has helped me immeasurably with my spirited, strong-willed daughter because she has had a challenging time with transitions. Having a daily rhythm has helped us get through our day without her breaking down–and me melting right along with her–every time we change from one activity to the next.
Creating a daily and weekly rhythm will help you get organized for good! Following a rhythm increases your ability to stay focused, get things done, and will allow you to find freedom within the structure of your every day.
Below are Amazon affiliate links to some of my favorite parenting books. I earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for choosing to support this blog!
References:
- Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing Our Children from Birth to Seven by Barbara J. Patterson and Pamela Bradley.
- You Are Your Child’s First Teacher, Third Edition: Encouraging Your Child’s Natural Development from Birth to Age Six by Rahima Baldwin Dancy
- Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children by Sharifa Oppenheimer
Sara says
Thank you! I struggle everyday with following schedules and always manage to literally have a break down because once again didn’t follow through!
nell says
I know the feeling Sara. Finding rhythm has really helped my family find the balance and support we need to get things done and still have time for each other. I will be posting about Establishing Rhythm in an article next week… stay tuned! Lots more resources coming your way 🙂
Sara says
Looking forward to it!
Thank you.
Mary says
Excellent post! It’s applicable to children as well as adults!
Thanks so much for sharing your insights! 🙂
nell says
Thank you Mary! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and found it useful. Creating healthy rhythms is a wonderful way to support the whole family!