I’m sitting in our hallway, afternoon coffee and my current read in hand. It’s become my 2pm routine, as of this week, when I realized I had two options: lose afternoon rest/naptime forever, or commit to making it happen by clear enforcement of my parameters. Within 2 days, a certain willful 3yo had figured out that the sheriff was back in town, and now happily peruses the pages of one book before rolling over, closing her eyes, and drifting to sleep for a bit.
It has been good for me to commit to her in a few areas and then see that my wholehearted commitment was all that was required for some changes to transpire.
It has also just been good for me to get back to basics. It’s true that parenting is getting more “frills” as the kids grow older. Life isn’t as small and simple as it once was. But sometimes, I’m realizing, I’m tempted to move too fast too soon in that direction, when in reality, if I focus and commit, there is plenty of time (and need!) for the small and simple disciplines of motherhood.
This little 2pm date with my hallway is bringing shape to my children’s days, but it’s tethering my heart again, too. My task is so simple. Not easy, always, but simple: raise, nurture, train young bodies and hearts and minds.
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Is something about your day/life/patterns with your kids bothering you? Ask for wisdom.
Then, be willing to be the answer.
Don’t be surprised when the solution requires sacrifice.
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our all-girl outing on this sunny saturday
Ah, yes. The temptation to move too quickly away from the simple mundane simple routine demands is real. Those older kids provide more liberty, more wiggle space. They pick up the slack, create a bit more time for various pursuits. And before you know it, something has been lost, and that something is typically just what you’ve identified: those little ones slip through, those simple small disciplines. Good for you for catching them and not losing sight. They may be small. They may be simple. But they are mighty and profound.