Pillow Talk

This last week I was privileged to speak to the Mom Time ladies about not getting stressed out in their parenting. I talked about changing your focus, and also about planning ahead for what will stress you out. Tonight at bedtime I got a different view of planning ahead.

We try to do bedtime at 8:00 with the boys. From 7:00-8:00 we usually watch Kipper the Dog on the Preschool on Demand channel, have a snack, a story, teeth brushing, and washing up. By this point I am drooping as well, anxious for them to just get in bed. Please. Our routine is that I sit in the hallway and read while they fall asleep.

After a long day of playing outside, I was really wiped out. The boys were bouncing around on their beds while I sternly begged them to just lay down and go to sleep. Something made me remember the "plan ahead" portion of my talk, but I saw it in a new context. I went and sat on the edge of Connor's bed while he shared what he had learned in Sunday school today and some other highlights of his day. Then I sat with Justin and let him whisper to me what he hoped to do tomorrow. I realized that I wasn't only spending quality time with them, getting to know them better, I was planning ahead for talks that we might have as they get older, laying a foundation of whispered fears, confidences, and dreams. Kind of puts tonight's little chit chatting in perspective.