As a parent some of my favorite times are when Hailey is sleeping. I know how that sounds but who doesn’t love a sleeping baby?
When I became a single parent I lived for bedtime. I was just figuring out how to get through a day by myself and bedtime was a reprieve. It was that time of day when I could just sit quietly with no demands. It was pure Heaven. I remember putting Hailey to bed and just sitting on the couch with the lights off, trying to sort our my thoughts and feelings.
That alone time helped me look at things from a different prospective and I learned to see each day for the gift it really is.
It’s hard to be grateful when you are trying to meet deadlines at work, keep the house clean, your child fed and your household running, without a break. Bedtime gives you that break but it’s up to you to take it.
There were too many times after Hailey went to bed that I cleaned the house or did laundry instead of taking just a little time for myself. Too many nights like that and I found myself tense and stressed. I had to let go, things did not have to be perfect.
Now that Hailey is eighteen I still love to watch her sleep. I’ve always been a sleep stalker. When she was a baby I would tiptoe in her room and just watch her. As she got older the last thing I did every morning before I left for work was go in her room and watch her sleep for a minute or so. It greatly improved my whole outlook.
There are lots of things to hurry through but we should always take the time to watch our children sleep. It really is the only time they are still long enough for us to bask in their perfectness.