Bedtime at my house is bedlam. It’s like the boys realize that they are about to be tucked away for the night, and they decide that they only have a finite amount of time to make me crazy, so they make the most of every second. Every. Last. Second.
Every night plays out the same: things go flying, the shrieks get louder, the pinches get harder (them, not me!) Boys go crazy, Mom goes bonkers. My head starts to spin, my eyes turn red and I start speaking the tongue of the Mommy Monster. No fun. No fun at all.
Despite the craziness, bedtime is also an important time.
My husband and I both work outside of our home so that precious time before bed is often the only time we get to be together as just the four of us. We snuggle in for a bit and love on each other. I hate how it’s turned into a time of screaming and stress, so I’ve been hard at work to settle down before we settle in for the night.
My tips for calming the chaos:
Being Bendy: Bedtime Yoga – We have been doing Cosmic Kids Yoga for the last couple of months and the boys love it. Heck—my husband and I love it too! It’s a great opportunity for the whole family to wind down and catch our breath. It’s also laying the foundation for the boys to be a little more mindful than their mama.
Deep Breaths of Calm: Essential Oils – Essential oils are rumored to be good for many things, but one of my favorite ways to enjoy is just popping them in the diffuser and helping to clear the air before bed. There is something so good about a little lavender as you drift off to sweet dreams. Turning on the diffuser a bit before you start to get ready helps to calm the mood and get everyone winding down.
Goodnight Moon: Bedtime Reading – Both of my boys love to read, and this is one of their favorite parts of the day. We read together as a family for a couple of stories, and then we each take a boy and spend some one-on-one time reading together and recapping our day. Each boy picks out a couple books to read and it’s a great quiet time with just one kiddo.
After books are done, it’s lights out. At this point, they’re (finally!) looking tired and mama is looking towards some wine. Bedtime is crazy time, but it’s also great time. My youngest is two, and every night I hold him in my arms, singing and rocking him and knowing it’s only a matter of time before I won’t be able to do it anymore. They will always love their mama, but there comes a time when rock-a-bye-baby just doesn’t work anymore. And the way this kid eats he’s going to be bigger than me in no time!
