Tuesday, March 27

The Changing of the Guard

Right now, right here is not where I am meant to be.  This post was supposed to have been written yesterday, scheduled for this morning and you are actually meant to be ready something entirely different. All I was meant to be doing this morning was linking said post up to the hug free Jess, over at Diary of a SAHM.  Clearly that well laid plan has all gone astray though.

Instead I sit here blurry eyed at some ridiculous time in the morning trying to sit of something insightful to say.

There was a time when a little while ago when most of my blogging occurred at this time.  It was one of the few times of the day I could escape the clutches of children and the responsibility that comes with them, steal a few moments with my thoughts and share them with you, my super duper awesome readers.

The downside to all of this meant that children would generally get to school late and half dressed as we tried to race out the door well after we were meant to because I had somehow become so engrossed in what I was doing.  Since this whole blogging gig is meant to be for fun and there is no monetary gain from it, it just didn't seem right to use it as an excuse for constantly being late.

So I changed my ways.

I introduced organisation and order into my life.  I imposed a heap of rules upon myself and began to implement a new way of life.  One where the little things would matter.  One that involved structure and routine, or at least had some resemblance of structure and routine.  Both are relatively new concepts to my life so the adjustment period was taking some time.

It was good.  Life was good.  I could feel and even see myself getting on top of things that had previously left me feeling overwhelmed and at times useless.  I knew that there were other women, mothers, who were able to keep a top of simple things like washing, the dishes, house keeping and to know that I was slowly joining their ranks made me pretty darn happy.

Mind you I still have my off days where the washing and the dishes and everything else seem to pile up and try to become insurmountable but I wise to their wicked ways now.  I know that as long as I do a little bit each and every day then they just won't get the chance overwhelm me.  Which then means I will have time to do the things I love without that little nagging voice telling me I should be doing something else.  Win win all round really.

So what went wrong with today I hear you ask? What has made me revert back to my old ways that I so desperately want to leave behind?

Children.

And their refusal to go to sleep.

One of life's largest battles faced by too many parents.  It seriously does my head in.  For the most part two out of three children have got it down pat.  The third however sees sleep as something only for the weak and refuses to do it on a fairly regular basis.  She has actually been heard at times saying she is allergic to sleep.  Which when you see the fuss she can kick up at bedtime it does almost seem plausible.  If of course it wasn't so ridiculous.

Part of me thinks that I shouldn't complain too much.  It has been quite a while since a night like last night.  Not only that but we are coming down from a massive week where routines partly fell by the wayside.  Rules got bent and late nights were had.  Excuses are a plenty.

Then there is this other part of me, that actually speaks much louder than the first.  She is old enough to know better.  She needs to learn that she can no longer use sleep as a manipulation tool to get what she wants.  I am wise to her ways and there is no room for them here.

On the upside though I don't need to worry about the dishes for a few days.  There is a sleep refusing child in need of extra chores!

Joining in with all the other iBotters for

11 comments:

  1. i love how you ended this with a positive lining!! I do feel for you though - I dont think im going to be crash hot at the losing sleep thing.

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  2. I know, the sleep thing - it's just a total killer. Just when you think they have turned a corner, BAM! The sleep stalling, crying, refusal - it kicks in again. It's so hard. I hope tonight is better for you all.

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  3. I wonder if that's the key? Just make her do housework until she decides she will sleep?

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  4. Oh the sleep... it is the worst, most cranky-inducing part of parenthood. I like the idea of the chores! Unfortunately my kids are a bit little for that one just yet!

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  5. Hope you get a better night's sleep tonight, Rhi. I hope you all do :)

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  6. Your child talking about being allergic to sleep made me smile... what a character. Sleep deprivation does not make me smile though. At all. I hope you catch up soon. :)

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  7. Ahhh...sleep! 2 out of 3 of my kids are also 'allergic' to sleep too I think ;)....it can be so hard to face the day with little sleep! go easy on yourself!

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  8. I hear you!! We have two cheeky girls that resistant to sleep, bedtimes had become a nightmare, we've slowly been breaking down their resistance, but every so often they fall back into bad habits and I feel like the walking dead the next day, while they're a bundle full of energy!!
    Hope tonight is better.

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  9. Sleep is such a difficult issue! Hope things get easier for you. One day she will be a teenager who wants to sleep all day! ;)

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  10. I miss sleep, hope it gets easier for you soon x

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  11. Hihi, I absolutely know what you need. I think my life needs some organisation too. My girl slept at 2am tonight and I could only start to blog, check emails and all at this time and honestly I would like to sleep but then again this is my only so called peaceful time of the day. Anyway, hope your routine gets back to normal soon okie, do rest well and take care!

    Cheers,
    Summer
    P/S: Have followed you on twitter and gfc too!

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Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses to you, thanks for stopping by, it really means a lot, you taking the time so say hi. I try as much as I can to write a reply but if for some chance I don't get to it please know that I always read them.