author Sonya and son
Bedtime is one of the most challenging times of day for me as a parent. I am tired from having taking care of a little person all day, ready to cuddle with my husband on the couch and watch a show, or check Facebook, or have any kind of leisure or work time that’s my own.
My son was two before we had a solid bedtime routine. We would read a pile of stories, then he’d crawl out of bed for more. He would nurse, then want to play or read and then nurse again. It didn’t bother me much at first because he was napping, and I got breaks during the day. Also, I listened to mamas all around me talk about their kids waking up at 6:00 a.m. and since my son didn’t go to sleep until 10:30 p.m., he slept until 9:00 or so in the morning. Much better for me since I’m a night owl.
Then we night-weaned and he started waking earlier. The long uninterrupted blocks of sleep meant he was more rested, too. He woke anywhere from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. When the time changed, my son rose with the sun. I’ve never been so aware of dawn. I bought new curtains at IKEA and sewed black-out material into them. Still the early mornings. I couldn’t start my day at 6:30 a.m. and still be present, attached, and nice by 10:30 p.m.
I needed a break. More…
RECENTLY ARCHIVED on The Attached Family:
Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth & Parenting
- Pregnant with Heart and Soul: An Interview with author Riet van Dooij
Feeding with Love & Respect
- Another Look at Breastfeeding with HIV/AIDS: An Interview with Marian Tompson, co-founder of LLLI
- Working without Weaning: An Interview with author Kirsten Berggren
- Breastfeeding and Working, an Illustration
- Pumping for Stay-at-Home Moms
- Breastfeeding after Sexual Abuse
- From Fear to Breastfeeding
- Blessings on Our Meal: Parenting a Child with Severe Feeding Issues
- The Family Table
- Using Media Literacy in the Battle for Our Children’s Minds – and Health
General Parenting
Gift-Giving from the Heart and Hands, Not the Wallet
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
