how do those words taste?

Don't ya just love it when God smacks you in the face with things you've said? Well, that happened this week here at Team Swink headquartes.

Pre-swinklets and possibly post swink3, I distinctly remember questioning the parenting skills of individuals who were out running around with their young ones late at night. It usually went something like this, "Good land, what are those people thinking? It's 10:30 at night & they are dragging their kids around Wal-Mart." This was all thought or said quietly to Swink1 while observing said kid(s) either running around like a maniac or dragging around whining through the store. It was also normally said in a superior tone of voice.

 

Gads, did I really cast such crazy judgment on people for keeping their kids out late? Yep, I hate to admit it but I did. That was me & if you're honest, it has probably been you too. Oh, maybe not this particular example of keeping kids up late but something else. Let’s say, “Are they really letting their kid climb those rocks/run screaming in that park/get up ridiculously early/eat nothing but candy & drink Mt. Dew?” OK – that last one will still get the same result from me…just being honest!

 

So what has happened to make me eat my words?

We are now those people.

 

Well, I do avoid Wal-Mart but our bedtime has migrated from rather close to 8:30 to sometime between 10:30 & 11. Since Swink1 has a new work schedule where he doesn’t get off until the middle of the night & since we are living cozily in an 18 foot travel trailer; necessity dictates that our sleep habits adapt to be more like his. This means that if my kiddos need 10 – 12 hours of sleep (and they do) and I need them to sleep until 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning then they don’t go to bed until around 10:30 or 11:00 at night. They are still getting the right amount of sleep, we’ve just moved it to better suit our schedule.

Just like many of those people I questioned probably did to ensure they were doing the best for their family.

On a related note: I’m almost completely positive that one of the biggest detriments to our kids today is lack of sleep. With the schedules that we put on them and that they put on themselves they are not getting an adequate amount of sleep. Do a little sleep research at your house & see what your schedule allows for sleep. Here are some rough guidelines – as always children are different.

Newborns: 10.5 – 18 hrs.

Infants: 9 - 13  (night not including naps)

Toddlers: 12 – 14

Preschoolers: 11 – 13

School-age:  10 – 11

 

Back to the main topic: something I once disdained in other parents is something I know do. Often when we say, “I would never…” it’s only a time until God says, “Oh, but you will.”

 

So tell me what words you’ve had to eat!