We had a nice visit with extended family this past weekend, but we are slow to return to our regular routine, especially our sleep routine.
On Saturday, we left much later than usual, so we were traveling through the evening. The kids are usually so worn out from all of the activity, junk food, and less sleep, that they nap in the car on the way home. When it is early afternoon for their car nap, it does not usually affect their bedtime much....maybe by an hour max. My guess is that there is enough exhaustion from the travel to balance it out. This trip was different. We visited longer, drove later, and the kids napped the entire return trip. We literally carried a couple whiny, exhausted children into the house, from the van, at 8pm.
At our house, bedtime for the kids is 8:30 pm....give or take, for certain evening activities in the week. Needless to say, some of the kids were not ready to return to sleep at bedtime.
This is where being married to a night owl is a blessing!
The Referee was willing to lounge in his recliner and watch movies with the kids until they actually fell asleep. We got everyone dressed in their PJs, set out bedtime snacks, and filled sippy cups with milk.
The Referee and the kids were more than happy to let me go to bed early (9pm instead of 10:30pm).....as long as I was willing to postpone all of the chores of luggage, laundry, and cleaning out the van. It was a great trade-off. I was able to sleep off some of the exhaustion from the trip, and they were able to enjoy a movie night.
We were SO off this time, that we have actually worked that same trade-off for 2 nights now. The first night, the younger kids stayed up later than the older kids. The 2nd night, Jersey #1 was up much later than usual. Both nights, I enjoyed a night of sleep. Both nights, The Referee enjoyed a movie night with the kids.
The chores are still waiting. I am prioritizing sleep right now, because it is taking me longer to recover from the travel exhaustion. I am guessing part of the problem is stress, and part of the problem is my extra-busy life these days. I would be a mess if I had to juggle the kids' disrupted sleep habits at the same time. I am so thankful that The Referee is a night owl. His normal bedtime is midnight, so he can easily outlast the kids. Plus, he is willing to hang out with them, and care for them, until they crash. What a blessing!
On Saturday, we left much later than usual, so we were traveling through the evening. The kids are usually so worn out from all of the activity, junk food, and less sleep, that they nap in the car on the way home. When it is early afternoon for their car nap, it does not usually affect their bedtime much....maybe by an hour max. My guess is that there is enough exhaustion from the travel to balance it out. This trip was different. We visited longer, drove later, and the kids napped the entire return trip. We literally carried a couple whiny, exhausted children into the house, from the van, at 8pm.
At our house, bedtime for the kids is 8:30 pm....give or take, for certain evening activities in the week. Needless to say, some of the kids were not ready to return to sleep at bedtime.
This is where being married to a night owl is a blessing!
The Referee was willing to lounge in his recliner and watch movies with the kids until they actually fell asleep. We got everyone dressed in their PJs, set out bedtime snacks, and filled sippy cups with milk.
The Referee and the kids were more than happy to let me go to bed early (9pm instead of 10:30pm).....as long as I was willing to postpone all of the chores of luggage, laundry, and cleaning out the van. It was a great trade-off. I was able to sleep off some of the exhaustion from the trip, and they were able to enjoy a movie night.
We were SO off this time, that we have actually worked that same trade-off for 2 nights now. The first night, the younger kids stayed up later than the older kids. The 2nd night, Jersey #1 was up much later than usual. Both nights, I enjoyed a night of sleep. Both nights, The Referee enjoyed a movie night with the kids.
The chores are still waiting. I am prioritizing sleep right now, because it is taking me longer to recover from the travel exhaustion. I am guessing part of the problem is stress, and part of the problem is my extra-busy life these days. I would be a mess if I had to juggle the kids' disrupted sleep habits at the same time. I am so thankful that The Referee is a night owl. His normal bedtime is midnight, so he can easily outlast the kids. Plus, he is willing to hang out with them, and care for them, until they crash. What a blessing!
Ah, how fortunate you are! And your kids are blessed to have a daddy who will let them stay up with him. Sounds like you all got just what you needed!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a great situation there - with Referee staying up so you can get some sleep!
ReplyDelete