All around the world- in homes, at mothers groups, the office and over dinner, parents are counting down the minutes until they can put their kids to bed…There’s memes ALL over social media, long running jokes with partners, a glass of wine waiting to be filled (or refilled!) to get us through the last hour…heck, theres even some pretty hilarious (if completely inappropriate) ‘children’s books for adults’ {remember ‘Go the F to sleep’} helping to cement the last few moments of our parenting day as a universal drama…
And I’m totally there too…I can’t WAIT for bedtime. But it might not be for the reason you’re expecting.
Our days are busy. They’re pretty much exhausting. We run a farm growing food, we have livestock and pets to care for. There are 5 in my family, including three boys under 7 that are homeschooled. We do all the usual stuff that most humans do, and sometimes I even find time to ride my horses (winning!!). So by 7pm I absolutely, like most of you parents out there, am checking my watch, reminding kids about teeth and helping button up PJ’s.
But here’s where it differs to the parenting memes. I actually LIKE this part!
This is where the good shit happens…Its where my 3 year old caresses my face, tells me he loves me all the way to Austria and back (random, yes…previous life maybe lol). Where my 6 year old asks me to explain Evolution, the Big Bang Theory and find out who God is…Where my 7 year old {finally} gets a moment with me to himself. Where he’s been in the background for parts of the day with a threenager and a middle child all desperately vying for attention, Kalan, being his usual quiet self may have gone unheard in some instances, now finally whispers all his secrets to me…When I see him sit up at night and say goodnight to Mother Earth and Father Sun quietly before snuggling me, when he asks about the ice age and fossils and healing powers of crystals. When we tell jokes and hold hands and I lay with him until his breathing slows and he falls asleep, keeping me present in this journey of motherhood, watching these lives unfold before me.
kindividual 