When my son was born, I was completely unprepared for how hard it would be to get him to sleep well. And when a baby doesn't sleep well, neither does the mama. I bought countless books, poured over them (many pages read while he was asleep in my arms), and found one common theme that has meant the most to me:
Wind your kid down with a consistent bedtime routine.
And you know what? A bedtime routine is just as important for the mama. I am finally doing right by my aging skin and washing my face each night. Some nights I skip it, but mostly I'm faithful to my little routine.
Tonight I started the ritual in an irritated huff, my brain busy with repeated memories of the day's events, and a little black cloud of annoyance hovering over me because it's late and I'm still not done with all the crap I need to do. Resentfully, I splashed the warm water over my face. And then something happened... I breathed in the calming scent of my favorite face cleanser and sighed with contentment as I realized that I was relaxing, winding down from my own busy day.
And with that simple ritual, all was right in my world again.
I must remember this the next time I am tempted to hurry my toddler off to bed before he's had a proper wind-down.
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