It was 3:00 in the morning and I awaken to the sound of feet running, a door opening, and then my bedroom door opens.
My husband kindly tries to get our daughter to let him be the one to help her and he even goes so far as to put on a sweatshirt.
Alas, it’s no use. She snuggles up to my side (I’m currently sleeping with a wedge pillow because pregnancy has given me a wicked case of heartburn. So she is practically sitting up completely in order to be by me).
“Do you need to go potty?” I ask her this, as we always do, and she gives the usual response.
“No.”
So I lead her back to bed, lay on the mat we put on her floor, and hope she will fall asleep soon. She plops onto the mat by me and scoots so close that her face is in my face.
I open my eyes to check if there’s progress towards sleep, and she beams at me.
This happens night after night after night. In the past month, I believe we’ve had 1 uninterrupted night of sleep.
When you have a chronic illness, you NEED sleep. When you’re pregnant, you NEED sleep. Conclusion? I NEED SLEEP.
But I have also chosen to be a mom, and that comes with sacrifices.
The question is, where does sacrifice end and self-neglect begin?
I propose that rather than determining exactly where we are on that spectrum, we should instead focus on what we can control:
Taking care of ourselves!
So my night sleep is interrupted. I can take a nap the next day. (no, it REALLY doesn’t make up for it. But I can’t control if my daughter wakes up or not, and I CAN control if I take a nap).
I had extra chores and errands, and am exhausted. I can sit on the couch and play “tired mom games” with my daughter.
Things like this, taking control of what we can actually control, brings us a greater feeling of confidence and independence.
If instead I refuse to take a nap and spend that time muttering about my bad night of sleep, or I resent my daughter for wanting to play with me and can’t enjoy a moment of it, that brings my overall wellness and quality of life down. I’ve included the serenity prayer below because it perfectly illustrates what I’m talking about.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
CHOOSE to take better care of yourself in the small, seemingly insignificant moments.
I have two handouts and a free e-book that help simplify different ways to take care of yourself.
If you need help improving your sleep, click here.
If you want some simplification tips on meal prep, click here.
If you want a free ebook detailing how to reach a more peaceful life, click here.
I can’t imagine being a parent with the challenges you face. Thanks for the thoughts in your post. I have a busy life and sometimes overdo it. It’s challenging. I’ll include you in my prayers, Mo.