I have a confession, I sneak in and lay with my son, while he sleeps. My evening routine is to get the kids to bed, spend time with my husband and then go lay with my older son (the one who is in a big kid bed) for a good 10 minutes. Sometimes more, because I am guilty for falling asleep in there. I do end up in my own bed though.

When my younger son makes the move to a big kid bed, I will likely do the same with him – so my husband will just have to wait 20 min instead of 10 for me to make it to our room. This, I think has become a must for me.

I am a Certified Sleep Consultant. I help families achieve independent sleep. I am the last person that you might think would do this because it could end up in my son needing me to lay with him while he sleeps each night. It doesn’t, because he has established a healthy relationship with sleep and understands that his bed where he sleeps, alone – for the most part ;). Sometimes he notices that I am there and sometimes he doesn’t. He doesn’t wait for me to come. He likes my night time visits, but also doesn’t mind me leaving.

I sneak in because: 

  • I can. There will only be a short time that me doing this is OK.
  • Every day his hands and his feet and everything else gets just a bit bigger. I don’t want to miss a minute of it.
  • There is nothing more peaceful than a sleeping child. I can use this time to really appreciate his sweetness, in all its splendor.
  • So little yet so much time has already gone by. The days of his little sleeping body fitting on my chest are already gone, and soon these days will be too.
  • Right now, I am his one and only. One day he will have another one and only and I will watch him be loved by someone else and from afar.
  • He has my heart, he will always have it, but I can only hold him like this for so long.

Yup, I am with him all-day-long. And at the end of the day, I am so ready for bedtime to come around. I know you feel me there! But, there is a part of me that needs to sneak in and cherish every drop of who he is, while he is little, and while I can. Sleeping or awake, I am soaking in every minute. I hope you do too!

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Jennie
Jennie is a Florida transplant since 2014, originally from New Jersey. She lived in Washington, DC for many years and even had a magical stint of 3 years living in Lake Tahoe. She now lives in Horizon West and is loving Florida life with her husband and 2 wild boys. She is a BIG supporter of moms, a MOPS Coordinator and an allergy-friendly food enthusiast. A boy mom who loves the outdoors, her writing, her faith and helping families sleep. Jennie juggles raising her two boys to live a purposeful and joyful life while also running her own business. After reaching out for support for her first child’s sleep and seeing the beauty of healthy sleep, she became a Certified Child Sleep Consultant. She has a passion for helping families reach their sleep goals. As a born introvert, Jennie is finding that through her passions, she may just be a tad extroverted. If you are struggling with your child’s sleep, Jennie is your gal. Follow her for all things sleep on her Website, Facebook and Instagram for up to date information on baby, child and toddler sleep resources and tips because a smart night's Sleep Means A Rested Tomorrow!

1 COMMENT

  1. You are a special and wise Mom. Loving, cuddling and holding (I believe) foster a feeling of being valuable, safe in this world and confident. (Besides, who wouldn’t any to cuddle with that sweet child?!)

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