It doesn’t matter how much mom and dad love their kids, any parent will testify that sometimes bedtime just can’t come soon enough. Yes it may sound like we’re trying to get rid of our children, but the reality is that there are days when you’ve given your all, are completely spent and just need a bit of peace and calm. Having said that bedtime is not always a straightforward affair.
The art of the deal
I’m sure my household is not unique when it comes to brilliant negotiating skills that emerge when the words ‘it’s time for bed’ are uttered. My children become master negotiators as soon as bed is mentioned. It doesn’t matter how tired they are there seems to be a built in aversion to going down without at least trying to get “five more minutes”. Add to that the sudden need for a drink of water, a fifth trip to the loo, one more story, another lullaby, and of course someone is bound to have forgotten to pray for their sore toe, and bedtime can become a mammoth undertaking.
Mama knows best
Bedtime in our house is sacred. It happens the same time every night, we follow the same routine and everyone knows what to expect. We bend the rules on occasion for fun movie nights or special events but generally we stick to what we know works. My kids may look like they could keep going for hours and have energy in buckets, but I know from experience that sleep is needed and without it those four little people are going to be much worse off. They may feel otherwise and want nothing more than to put bedtime off until later but it’s my job to make sure they get what they need so that they can function.
I don’t want to
It’s funny how, even as adults, we sometimes kick against things that will only do us good. It could be the advice about losing weight for our health or resisting the urge to buy something we just don’t have the money for. Just like children we would rather choose the “fun” option instead of the alternative, which will benefit us so much more. The Bible is full of things that God tells us to do because they will be beneficial to us and yet rather than listening to the wisdom of his words we want “five more minutes” to continue doing things our own way.