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Ritual is defined as "dependability performing a regular routine". The value of ritual is that it creates family structure, which offers the child emotional comfort and security. Ritual within their life then becomes part of what they learn they can count on. Most of what we as adults view as security in our lives revolves around financial or physical safety (house, car, job, money, etc.), whereas children value more the reliability of routine in their lives. Even though you will frequently hear them speak of boredom and that "there is nothing to do", they would feel less secure if there was not a regular routine of family events in addition to regular household living habits. One reason television plays such an important role in most children's lives is the depiction of stability and routine that is a necessary part of situation comedies and weekly drama. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood draws a lot of its appeal from the sameness of demeanor and behavior of Fred Rogers, which young viewers depend upon for their enjoyment of the program. The same is true about Sesame Street, whose characters may experience different events in their day-to-day TV lives, but the setting-and routine revolves around basic rituals that set the tone for those events. You can set the same tone for the events in your household by creating rituals on a regular basis. The following are some suggestions from my own experience and those of others who have attended my classes on parenting.
No matter what activities you perform, remember, those rituals create the feeling of rootedness that every child needs and wants, whether they recognize it or not. That rootedness provides the child with a feeling of security and stability, which is in precious short supply and used by the child whenever their self-esteem gets battered in the day to day trials of life.
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