If I succumbed to impulse just to be social, I would have lost out. Don't get me wrong: I love to mix it up. But I would have given up the reasons why I am there in the first place. And one of those is not to catch up with my girlfriends. (actually, we did get a chance to chat, but it was after the class, which is the appropriate time and place).
When it comes to children, routines are essential. They enable them to thrive and yet getting them to stick to the routine is challenging. One area where I have been successful due to sticking to consistency with my kinderlach is in clearing the table. We use the Hebrew word toranut to refer to clean-up. When the Wolfman leaves the table with his breakfast dishes still there, I will say simply, "Did you do your toranut?" Repetition of this question has instilled that he knows it is his responsibility. When he acts like he doesn't want to do this job, I will ask probing questions such as: "Is there something you need help with? Are the dishes too heavy?" Often, this helps.
There is a time and a place for everything, and routines help us get there.
Pete Seeger captured this Jewish concept in "Turn, Turn, Turn," a song popularized by the Byrds. It is based on the Book of Ecclesiastes (which appears in the Old Testament or Tanach). It is called Kohelet in Hebrew and is read in synagogue during the holiday of Sukkot, a harvest festival all about changes of the seasons. As creatures of habit, every year our sukkah has the same look and feel, but the people who come to it bring variety of all stripes.
I like that.
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