Children are interesting little creatures! They run around full of energy and even when it's time to stop, they just can't stop running. Oftimes, you don't realize that they are actually tired until you notice that they are being a little snappy or crying for no known reason. Often I have misread this behavior and gone into a yelling spell because one of my kids was seemingly out of control.
Tonight I took a different approach. My 9-year-old played in a basketball tournament this weekend. He had 4 games, two of which he played the entire time. His body was exhausted but his mind was going and so was his mouth. He was cranky and fidgety and needed some assistance. Rather than just tell him to get ready for bed and go back to my own space, I realized that he needed some one-on-one time with Mommy.
So from the time I told him to get in the shower, I hung around and just talked and walked him through the process. I turned off the light, turned on the vaporizer, had him to say his prayers and then laid in the bed with him. He still wanted to talk because he was wired. So I began to gently rub his back and pray and just laid there. Slowly his body began to unwind and within 5 minutes he was asleep.
Sometimes our little ones just need us to stop and be present with them. No computer, no texting, no watching television, just pure one-on-one time. That's what all of us need...just a few minutes to be still and present. It brings comfort to our children to know that we see them and we want to spend quality time with them.
So the next time you're trying to get your kids ready for bed, don't yell and become impatient with them as they try to avoid the process. Rather take a few extra minutes and be totally present. I promise the night will end on a much happier note!
Now walk it out......on second thought, go to bed!
No comments:
Post a Comment