Back in the Groove and Not IN the Groove

It seems like FOREVER since I have been in blog land which is very sad to me because I LOVE blog land. I have just had a rough time getting back in the groove since after the holidays. I feel like I have had so much catching up to do and not enough daylight to get it all done. Today I feel like I am finally getting a handle on things. So I excitedly sit down to type something out and I think, "Where do I start?" So many little things have happened in our little home. I think I have plenty of writing material, let's h ope I can continue to have the time to write it out. Today, I am choosing to write about bedtime.

Why is getting the kids to bed and in a "normal" bedtime routine so hard for us? Well, part of it is because I worked for 6 years outside the home in the evenings. Guess who was in charge of a bedtime routine - not me!! Usually when I would come home at nights everyone was in the living room asleep on the floor or couches. Television on, toys and stuff everywhere. Then I had to move them to their beds. Some nights they would wake up and I would have to help them fall back to sleep. There was no routine or schedule during those 6 years, they just fell asleep when they fell asleep. It didn't bother me then because I wasn't at home to deal with the late nights. Kevin did the best he could after coming home from working all day to have to watch three kids all by himself. Not an easy job.

A little over a year ago, we were blessed with being able to have me stop working outside the home. This made our family so happy. For a few months it was hard, not having "a life outside the home". I had to rely on contact with adults at church or visiting teachers who I never wanted to leave. I had to work on adjusting myself to staying home full-time, tougher than it sounds, believe me.

Since the beginning of this last school year in September we decided that there is no reason why the kids should be up so late. We need time in the evening to have adult conversation, get church callings done and just BE, ya know? So we instilled a bedtime routine. Pajamas on and teeth brushed at a certain time, books read, prayers said and into bead. Piece of cake, right? WRONG!!! They have fought us every step of the way. They do not like having a bedtime routine at all. I always use one line on them that they totally hate, "Every other kid that we know is in bed right now, why aren't you?!?!" They have such a hard time. We tell them they have to be in their rooms but not necessarily asleep, they can read or draw. They just don't like to be in their rooms alone. We spend all night going back and forth from room to room trying to calm them down and get them to stay. It's so frustrating!!! Then once the holidays hit it's even harder because we are never home. We are out visiting family and friends and aren't home in time to instill the routine.

What's a mother to do? I know most of you all have little angles that are in bed by eight and you get a lovely evening to yourself. This is my dream. I know for most of you it's an easy bedtime routine. Not for us, we are still trying. Every night we go through the same thing. I keep telling myself consistency is the key. Since the beginning of the new year, I decided to make little charts of "Daily things to do" for each one of them to mark off and keep track daily. Things like brush teeth, say prayers, read scriptures, GO TO BED ON TIME, etc. With each task that is done, they get a point. Once they have reached X amount of points individually, we get to go on a family outing either bowling or ice skating. Since we started this little reward system, I think, maybe, we have more of a routine showing up in this house. It's not perfect yet, but slowly, we are getting there. We have found that we can't skip a night because then they have a hard time getting back on track the next night. This is another challenge because then we can never go anywhere. Like this coming Thursday, Kevin and I are going to the Temple. This means the kids will be at my moms' house. Which means that after a session and hopefully a bite to eat afterwards, we will be home very late. Do you see what I mean. Then Friday night will be hard to get back on track. This has been my CHALLENGE. Every night. We all know it's coming.

SO my hope is that by the end of the school year they will be in a good little routine that we can depend on and I can get some quiet evenings. Then guess what happens. SUMMER!! Does this mean I will have to start all over again come fall? It's a never ending vicious cycle. I dare say that bedtimes will be a challeneg for me and my little family for a long time. Sigh.