The world is new to a child, so many things encountered and sensed for the first time, so many transitions from comfort into the unknown.
Being born from the coziness of the womb into the harsh light of day.
The slow descent of the sun and the onset of the dark night and dreamland of sleep.
The sudden awakening in the morning and the rush of being readied for the day.
The fading of the early years and the onset of the individuation of middle childhood.
The hormonal bath of the early teenage years, and witnessing the world’s bewildering vastness.
Through all of these transitions (and there are of course untold others), your child is in need of your guidance. He needs to be oriented by you as his compass. He needs to know that you recognize the passage too, and that you’re there to escort him into the new land which he knows so little about.
Take a moment to think of what transitions your child has gone through in his short life. Ask yourself which transitions he lives through daily, from waking, to leaving home, to eating, to falling asleep.
Then see if you can find a way to shine some light on the transitions yet to come, and prepare yourself to guide him well as they draw near.