So I was surprised when I walked past her lovely new bedroom and saw her sitting on the floor, sobbing. It had been several weeks since we¡¯d arrived in our new home, and most of the boxes were unpacked. The house was starting to look like a home, and from my perspective things were improving. But there was my little girl, heart-broken, as she looked up at me and said, ¡°Mommy, I miss my old carpeting!¡±
What is it about old carpeting that comforts a toddler? At this age, children are soaking up information about the world through all their senses. Think about toddlers putting everything in their mouths. They have to taste the world to find out all about it. A keen sense of touch is another way for children to learn about all the things around them. Can you picture one of your young children snuggled up with a silky ¡°blankey¡± or soft teddy bear, gently smoothing it? Why is it that crib mobiles play soothing music and lullabies? Babies¡¯ hearing is acute, more sensitive than ours, again assisting them in acquiring information about this new world.
The old carpet had a distinctive texture, and I¡¯m afraid it probably also had a distinctive smell! I was happy to be rid of the old, and delighted to have a new house with brand new carpet, but my daughter¡¯s world had been ripped apart as the ground upon which she spent much of her day was now strange and unfamiliar. When toddlers and preschoolers move, parents can be sensitive to the many sensory aspects of life that have changed. This sensitivity can help make a child¡¯s transition a little easier.
Take a moment and try an exercise with me. Close your eyes and recall your childhood home. What smells can you remember? Imagine touching something that was dear to you, perhaps your sofa or bedspread. What did it feel like? What sounds did you hear in that house? How did the phone ring sound? Do you see how important your senses were to you as a child?
If you are planning to relocate to a new home, think about what you might do to bring some familiar sensations along with you. Bake the same kind of favorite cookies in your new kitchen. Perhaps this isn¡¯t the time to purchase a new comforter for your child¡¯s room, but instead live awhile with the old one in the new house. Be intentional about playing the same music in your new home that you enjoyed in your old house. Make a new house your home by savoring pleasant memories.
I hope some of this thinking will ease your family¡¯s transition. Families experience change of one kind or another all the time. When that happens it can be an opportunity to examine our lives and make a plan for what we want to see in the days ahead. Life Coaching is an exciting, empowering strategy for making new decisions and plans. If, right now, you are living any sort of family change or challenge, please take a look at my website www.BeginAgainLifeCoaching.com. Or, e-mail Diane@BeginAgainLifeCoaching.com to schedule a free ? hour just to get acquainted. You can Begin Again!
Want to use this article on your website, ezine, or blog? Great! Just be sure to include the following bio with link back to www.BeginAgainLifeCoaching.com :
¡°Diane Overgard, CFLE, is a Family Life Specialist and Coach whose main goal is to help people who are experiencing family change find clear direction for their future. Find out if Life Coaching might be right for you by visiting www.BeginAgainLifeCoaching.com.