We put our kids to bed later than a lot of parents we know. A common bed time is 9:30, and though some parents would turn their noses up at us over this, there is a benefit to it, too. Our kids sleep in later than the early to bed kids. On school mornings they wake up at about 7am, and on weekends, we get to sleep until 8am! Most parents we know think it is a total luxury, and maybe there is some truth in the “early to bed/early to rise” thoughts, but man….their sleep schedule makes me a saner person.
It’s not like I’m typically sleeping in as late as they do. Rather, I still get up at the crack of dawn and have a little of much-needed alone time. I write, I do laundry, I drink coffee, I feed our pets, I make breakfast…..all by myself stealing a few quiet moments.
My Mom sends me newspaper articles about how kids need sleep. I know she totally disapproves of this part of our lifestyle. If our kids are ever acting tired though, it is not because they are being put to bed at 9:30. It is because they are kids who wake up in the middle of the night crawling into our beds with fear of the dark and being alone.
The reason I bring this up today is because my son had a sweet little best friend sleep over last night. We kept him up a little later than he is used to, but man….at 4:30 am he came in to my room to urge me to wake up. I put him back to bed, and yay…got another hour’s sleep. Kid….it’s Sunday though! 5:30 on Sunday mornings is a sacrilege even for this Mom who cherishes her quiet early mornings!!!
So….on to the song of the day. Today, I am choosing Peter, Paul and Mary singing “Early Morning Rain” as an anthem for having to get up early. The song is written by Gordon Lightfoot, but it is the Peter, Paul and Mary version that I grew up singing along to, and their harmonies are spot on. Click HERE to go to Youtube to hear the song, and please know that there will be a much-needed nap awaiting for me this afternoon. Until then, have a happy Sunday everyone!