Tag Archives: body clock

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 27

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Posted by on in Social, collaborating, Assistance, Education, Personal Values, Family, Striving, children

June 17,2026- Wednesday is a longer day for Hana, as her parents carpool together. This means that her Daddy gets home later, since Mom is bound to wait until a certain time to clock out and works farther away than he does. He otherwise gets home about forty minutes before her.

I help Hana deal with this by spending more time with her, inside the playpen-just being there while she goes about her selected activities: Working to operate a set of levers that open little doors, where Sesame Street characters appear, doing her developmental exercises (grabbing her feet, while lying on her back; pushing herself up on all fours) and crawling about, with a towel draped over her back-almost like a shawl. She loves my reading her stories from the Marvel characters, Pete the Cat, Dr. Seuss and “Girl Power” stories, based on Disney characters, as well as English translations of simple children’s stories from Japan and China. Being so little, she probably would love anything I read her. Just the fact that Papa is here for her is everything.

The most amazing thing about Hana is her body clock. I will hear her on the monitor that I keep in my room-up and talking to her parents, at 5 a.m. That’s not exactly their idea of an alarm clock, but she is up and wants to have her diaper changed-or just be held. They make it work, just as parents have for thousands of years. She “reminds” me, when it’s time for a feeding-saying “Hey, okay” and extending her arm towards the kitchen. I am usually already on top of it, but having her feel responsible for her own well-being is a good thing. When she is tired, she has only to show frustration at something, and into Papa’s arms she goes- for a nap in the crib or with me in the rocking chair. Usually, she is out like a light in 10 seconds or less. This little girl works hard at her playtime.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 5, Day 14

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Education, Family, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, service, Social, Striving

June 4, 2026- My granddaughter had a few comments on the singing birds and on encountering the same mother and baby we met yesterday. She was quite happy with our walk, even along the somewhat bumpy grass path that brought us closer to our house, on the way back. It was warmer today, and the sun was more direct, but Hana was shielded by both a sun visor and her stroller’s canopy. Her skin was warm when we got back, so I put infant-safe lotion on her arms, legs and neck. Sunscreen is not recommended for children under the age of two.

She likes the solid foods to which she’s been introduced so far-and that includes the broccoli that she’s had for the past three days. Tomorrow, it will be cabbage’s turn. Sitting in a high chair, for ten-minutes, has also proven easier than I had thought. She sits straight and keeps her posture-and I have a tray in place, for extra support. Sitting in the chair for more than ten minutes is probably not a good idea until she can sit up straight, without support from furniture. Still, the high chair makes feeding easier.

She misses her parents, along about the time that her body clock tells her that they should be home. That is her challenge, but she also knows that she is safe with her Papa. Their schedules will even out, starting next week, so this should be less of a problem. Her awareness is, nonetheless, very keen.

Overall, though, Hana is a bright, engaging and generally happy little girl.