You know life has been really crazy around here and I think to myself “what if I didn’t work from home would the sleepless nights really be bothering me?” or “what if I worked outside of the home, how could I manage?” I wonder how do mothers and fathers who work outside of the home deal with non-sleeping children, I could not imagine being up all night with my children and crawling into the shower to go to work and actually function. I also can’t imagine loving being a Mom who loves her children so much yet desperately wants them to sleep in their own beds all night long at ages 2 & 4 so that she can work from home.
Sometimes I feel bad that I want my two youngest kids to just sleep. I feel bad for getting upset, and I am guilty of getting so frustrated at times that I throw up my hands and want to quit. I do quit some nights and just let my 2 year old sit on my recliner watching Backyardigans DVD or Dora DVD until he falls asleep on the recliner. I just am one person dealing with bedtime with these boys more days of the week than anyone else and that makes me upset.
Once I clear my mind and take a moment to think clearly, I can make a smile appear on my face. I am able to smile, relax, breath and move forward in getting these kids to sleep. I have to do it over and over some nights and yes some nights I can’t work. This is the biggest reason I have not been able to take on any new clients that are long term with my virtual assistant business, my kids come first.
Yet, if my kids come first, why do they upset me so much by not sleeping? You see I question if I didn’t work from home and held a “normal” job outside of the home all day long would I be more patient at bedtime? What if I were a stay at home mother not work at home mother, would I be more patient at bedtime?
The answers are simple, no I wouldn’t be more patient & I enjoy working as much as I enjoy being a mother so it would do no good for my positive mindset to not work plus I have no choice about working. I don’t want to work outside of the home, I love getting paid to do what I am passionate about, I enjoying the moments I spend with my children. I even enjoy the sleepless nights at times when the little one comes to cuddle with me in my bed.
So I say to you all, if you get frustrated with your children and you are human like me, do not take the time to wonder “what if” take the moment think “I can”. Eventually you will see yourself become stronger and don’t be afraid to confide in a counselor or close friend if you feel lack of sleep is truly causing big emotional issues. You do not want to let lack of sleep go so far as to totally destroy the real person you are.
Keep smiling, when times get tough, confide with close people & smile!
Cheers to your success in parenting!
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I’ve been both, a work-at-home mom and now a work-away-from-home mom, and both have their pros and cons. I HATE being away from my children during day, but I think it makes me a better mom when I get back home 😉
When it gets tough, say to yourself “How lucky am I….” Yes, you’re lucky to have been kept up all night by a child who needed you. Consider the alternative. That one little phrase kept me from going insane and reminded me that life could be so different without them. Now that they’re grown and gone, when I’m so lonely it hurts, I still say “How lucky am I that I got to be a mom”.
No matter what your choice, just remember how lucky you are…
(((hugs)))