Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

Happy June! We are looking at multiple birthday parties, including Benjamin’s fourth birthday!!

What's the deal with kids and bedtime? On Saturday, we visited the library and went swimming at the YMCA. Benjamin only had a 15-minute nap in the car, but after that it was chaos! He didn’t fall asleep until 10:00! Meanwhile, Emmett missed his 5 o’clock nursing session. I woke him at 6:00, attempted to feed him baby food, and played with him. Then I prepared him for bed. This little one didn’t fall asleep until after 9:00! Then comes the anxiety, thinking "this is my fault."

Why do we, as mothers, constantly hold ourselves responsible? It's not my fault that Benjamin dozed off in the car and ended up staying awake late. He was simply exhausted and fell asleep. I didn’t do anything to disrupt Emmett's sleep and feeding schedule. All we can do is determine the next steps. It's incredibly frustrating, though! When the children's routine is disrupted, ours is too, and everyone faces difficulties. But how do we handle that frustration? We find a solution.

One of the best decisions David and I made was transitioning Benjamin to a full-sized bed. This allows either David or myself to lie down with him if he isn't sleeping well or is unwell. If we end up falling asleep there, it doesn’t really matter. Regarding Emmett not sleeping, instead of struggling to calm him down, I sat on the floor and let him play. He did a lot of scratchy tests! Then at 9:00, I fed him, and he easily fell asleep.

Children rely on structure, stability, and a routine. Yet, it's important to keep in mind that they are still children. We should be flexible and willing to adjust when necessary. This is a principle I must remind myself of often. Striking the right balance between being too structured and too lenient is crucial. Most importantly, remember that if our kids act out, it's not our fault!

In other news, we got new chickens! This is Alexander Henilton!

Emmett not caring that he was awake 2 hours past his bedtime.

The love these two shares reminds me of why I do what I do.