This morning our sweet Grant (5) came into our bedroom at 5:30.
Is it morning yet, Mom?
Are you kidding me? I just put this kid in bed. How could he possibly be up?
No. You need to go back to your room and play quietly. I need to sleep.
His tears:
But I want to BE WITH someone!
My tears:
But I want to be a happy mommy! THIS ISN’T FAIR!
I sent him to play with the dog, hoping he wouldn’t wake his sister up. He did.
After more of my own frustrated tears, smacking my pillow on the bed a few times and mentally rehashing the list of the horrible side-effects of us all not getting enough sleep, I felt a shift. Anna asking Elsa if she wants to build a snowman came to mind. No matter how much I want to blame him, Grant isn’t to blame for his internal clock. He doesn’t deserve my wrath.
And I have a choice right now. Am I going to celebrate the kids’ friendship and enjoy what opportunities I DO have with them or am I going to be angry and blame them for my bad mood and resent them for not having enough energy to do what I want to do all day?
And with a little grace, I said out loud:
Andrea, no matter how much sleep you got last night, you can be kind.
Praying for a little more grace to live it out the rest of the day.
oh my goodness. there are soooo many times in the middle of the night when I have done the same thing. it drives me crazy. I wish I had a nice/kind/patient button I could push to help me….
Interesting thought! I have this trigger now – the “wanna build a snowman” moment – that brings it all into perspective for me. I wonder if you might have something like that too? Some special image or memory or word that when you think it, you remember? Maybe it could become a kind button!
oh my goodness. there are soooo many times in the middle of the night when I have done the same thing. it drives me crazy. I wish I had a nice/kind/patient button I could push to help me….
Interesting thought! I have this trigger now – the “wanna build a snowman” moment – that brings it all into perspective for me. I wonder if you might have something like that too? Some special image or memory or word that when you think it, you remember? Maybe it could become a kind button!
oh my goodness. there are soooo many times in the middle of the night when I have done the same thing. it drives me crazy. I wish I had a nice/kind/patient button I could push to help me….
oh my goodness. there are soooo many times in the middle of the night when I have done the same thing. it drives me crazy. I wish I had a nice/kind/patient button I could push to help me….
Interesting thought! I have this trigger now – the “wanna build a snowman” moment – that brings it all into perspective for me. I wonder if you might have something like that too? Some special image or memory or word that when you think it, you remember? Maybe it could become a kind button!
What a great mantra, Andrea. It’s worth sharing with some other people in my family, too. I recall having that discussion with my girls before and after they left for sleepovers or weekends with Grandma and Grandpa. When they would start to get barky, we would remind them that just because they are tired, doesn’t mean they can’t be polite and courteous, it just means it takes more energy to do it. So, you just have to try harder than normal when you’re tired. 🙂 Sometimes it much easier said, than done.
What a great mantra, Andrea. It’s worth sharing with some other people in my family, too. I recall having that discussion with my girls before and after they left for sleepovers or weekends with Grandma and Grandpa. When they would start to get barky, we would remind them that just because they are tired, doesn’t mean they can’t be polite and courteous, it just means it takes more energy to do it. So, you just have to try harder than normal when you’re tired. 🙂 Sometimes it much easier said, than done.