With the advent of a brand new school year, and the (alleged) return to a more disciplined lifestyle, I am going over my habits with a fine-toothed comb.
(Or should I say a felt-tip pen?)
(I have to write things down to process them.)
One of the areas I have not been happy with is bedtime. We have prayed as a family for years now but after that—generally speaking—we say goodnight and the kids shuffle off to bed. Sometimes I’ll swing by and tell them a story, sometimes I’ll sing them the Salve Regina—though the boys (alas) are outgrowing such things—but it’s not a constant, our bedtime routine.
Suddenly, though, I crave one.
Suddenly I need to be tucking them in—each and every one of them.
They are growing, these kids, with the speed of lightning and against my will. I am not one of those moms who is cool with the idea of them all leaving the nest; I am not ready for them to not be little.
(Yes, I have some emotional baggage.)
(Yes, I need to let them grow up.)
Cutting to the chase, then…
I have added the habit of tucking them in. It’s not second nature to me—I am tired at night, and want to curl up with a book and/or an old episode of LOST. That’s not the stuff that makes for good childhood memories, though. That’s not the bedtime I want them to have.
So.
We do a butterfly kiss, an Eskimo kiss, and a Mommy kiss on the forehead.
And then I tell them that I love them…
…because oh my goodness, I truly do.
What’s your favorite bedtime routine? It doesn’t matter what it is, I don’t think, just so long as we have one.
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you are making some very EXCELLANT memories your kids!!!!! as the owner also of some emotional baggage please continue.
That photo of your boys is just too darn sweet!!!!!!!!!!! (that will be a good photo to have on display a their weddings)
signed
Theresa in Alberta
I LOVE the brothers photo. LOVE.
Kristy in Kentucky
Oh my goodness, that picture is so precious!
Our routine:
1) Shower and then pj's
2) 30 minute show (the only one of the day, usually)
3) Prayers – which ALWAYS end with them blowing a kiss to Jesus and one to Mary.
4) Chocolate milk and brush teeth (I still like to fill up their little bellies before bed)
5) I tuck them in while saying "Cuddle, cuddle" and then kiss them on the forehead, and then give them a raspberry on their cheek while saying "Kiss, Kiss". So they call it "Cuddle, cuddle, kiss, kiss".
All in bed by 7 pm 🙂
I feel the same way you do, and we have a similar "routine". Family prayers and everyone shuffles off to bed. My 17 yo rarely even says goodnight! 🙁 We practically have to chase the younger ones off with a stick because they want to keep chattering, but daddy needs them to go to bed so he can go to bed and get up at 4:40 a.m.! I try to "tuck them in" and visit a little more, but I often get wrapped up in stuff– not LOST, but similar! 😉
We've always had a short bedtime routine where both my husband and I go from room to room tucking in the kids when they are younger (at this point 12 and under) but we made a point a few years ago of kissing and hugging them goodnight, making the sing of the cross on their foreheads and telling them we love them.
Most nights this is something I would rather hurry along because I am dead, but I try not to push it too much!
PS I love the photo…all your photos…just out of curiosity, what kind of lens do you use (I'm assuming you use a DSLR and not a point and shoot camera 🙂
God Bless.
Sweet, sweet boys.
My boys always kiss me goodnight. I usually ask for a hug, too. When they get big they rarely get touched — it's so important. Faith being young still has tuck-in time.
I wish I had a better routine but I am so drained at that point of the night that just getting them to stay in bed is a plus! I get so frustrated b/c most of the time they keep coming out! argh. I have bribed them but they still come out. I keep saying that time will tell and things will change. Bedtime could be so much more!!!
Thanks for the reminder to try and try again to set some routine up for my kidos. They are gettting so big!
God bless,
Mary @ Cheerios
p.s.
I should add that we are saying the Rosary-up to 4 decades!!! AND THAT IS awesome for us!!!
So I guess there is some routine there…
oh, i LOVE LOVE the pic of your boys! absolutely so sweet!!! love….
God bless,
Mary @ Cheerios
We all gather (2 – 15 years old) around our bed and take turns leading an evening prayer, 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's (for purity), and Glory Be. Then we bless them and make the sign of the cross on their foreheads. They run around and bless each other much of the time too. Then they are off to bed. We tuck in the 5 yr old and sometimes go in and "tuck" everyone else in too. We usually head to bed son after. DH gets up at 4:45, and no matter how tired I am I am a much happier mama if am up and ready before the first child jumps out of bed at 6 am.
Love the pic of your boys. Those are precious!
We started a bedtime routine when my oldest was tiny for the very selfish reason that it made it easier for her to then lie down and fall asleep.
Our routine:
picking up toys
bedtime snack
reading (Daddy reads a book to the little kids, I read a chapter to the big kids)
tooth brushing/quick drink and potty
then an individual song/prayer/"joke-question-statement
by the time the big kids get to this point, the little kids are asleep, so the big kids get to read for 20 minutes.
I have been wanting to do evening prayers as a whole family for awhile now, just not sure where to start, lol. With the little ones someone reads them a story (usually a big sister) and I do an angel of God plus blessings, etc and then I sing them two songs. I do the sign of the cross on all the kid's foreheads before they go to bed though, and dad has just started too. I was thinking about getting some holy water from church for this, but again… I never do, lol.
My hubby used to say to our youngest daughter –
"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…"
and she would say – "…and they won't get a chance at your either!"
She would giggle like billy-oh (Australian colloquialism) then go off to sleep happy.
The picture of your boys is priceless and so precious!
Cheers – Joolz
Every night, I bless my children (in the name of the Trinity while making the sign of the cross on their foreheads). I kiss each of their cheeks and tell them just how very much I love them . . . they are my heart.
After the pjs and bathroom stuff we all head upstairs to my daughter's bed (she has a double) and curl up together. We start with a prayer led by one parent, each child add their own "please" and/or "thank you" and closed by the other parent. Then a Bible story and any talking about it closed with the common "now I lay me…" prayer. Then either each kid has picked a story book that we read aloud or we read a chapter out of a chapter book. Next each kid finds their bed followed by a hug, a kiss, and a few minutes of their own time with both Mom & Dad. We close with a hymn or Jesus song sung by Mom or Dad from the hallway so it's the last thing on their minds before they drift to sleep (that's a hold over from singing them to sleep as babies). Sounds long but it's about 30 minutes time so really not much considering all that's packed in.
As far as making memories, our routine is almost a mirror image of the one I had with my parents and siblings growing up. I can't imagine not doing this with/for my kids.
Oh what a CUTE picture! So adorable!!!!
That picture of your boys is to die for! What a moment you captured. I am so grateful to have come upon your blog. I will be homeschooling five children this year (we have 7) and I am so overwhelmed. I am so grateful for the reminder to take the time to cherish them and bedtime is such a time that they will remember. I will be keeping up on your blog!
Mary (former Minnesotan, but it's always in the heart)
Our bedtime routine is LONG. I don't seem to have much of a choice unless I want much screaming, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. So I just made it into my own blog post here.