Morgenmuffel
Most new moms are all excited to move their toddlers out of a crib. They think it is this amazing step into growing up.
Then, in the middle of that first night, they feel a slight breeze, open their eyes, and find a small face RIGHT in front of their eyes saying, "Mom, are you awake?" It's eerie. If your face moves, you bump foreheads. Any closer, the kid would have been kissing you. It's a heck of a way to wake up! Somehow, in all the rush for a pink bed with Frozen sheets, the new mom forgot this meant the kid is now "free" to move about the house all the time. No matter the hour.
And thus the "stay in your bed" wars began. These wars last years. Darkening curtains are installed because the child never sleeps past 5am. I have three kids and I resorted to hanging an old, thick, dark comforter over the blinds. Surely, if I made the room totally dark, they might sleep 'til 5:15am? I was so tired. That's a big cloud over all my memories of their childhood, my feeling of a undying urge to sleep.
In desperation, moms try to teach time as young as possible. "Do NOT come to Mom's room until the little hand is on the six," we tell them. This rarely worked with my kids. They would "think they saw it right." I heard from my sister that the latest "sleep device" for kids is some alarm clock that shines a colored beam of light when they are allowed to leave their rooms in the morning. This was not available when mine were little.
So from the time they are born 'til maybe 10 or 11 years old, the kids are sweet dew drops of the morning. They wake up, like my daughter S. in this photo, all cute and smiling bright in their Barbie nightgowns, clutching Teddy Bears. They romp and play with the dog, so cheerful and loud every morning.
They smile. It's "Can I get up yet, Mommy? Can I? Yay!" whenever you come in their room each morning.
And then, around 11 years old or so, this cheerful morning glory of a kid morphs. It literally happens overnight (every night?) They go to bed, often even cheerful, or at least neutral, and then, oh man. Then comes the morning.
My alarm goes off. Big gulp. Coffee first? I probably need it. Because exactly what will I wake up this morning? Will it be my darling daughter? Or some angry lion with tangled mane and fangs (I swear, I saw fangs!)
Then I remember. She is a senior. This is her last year. It's even March now, so it's her last 3 months of school. I know this will shock everyone, but, she is "over it." College has caught her eye so finishing high school somehow just seems tedious and annoying.
Every morning, I hover nervously at her door. Sometimes I even bring a cup of coffee for her. That's a big risk though. Some mornings, she loves coffee, "Wow, thanks!" but other mornings it's "Why would I want that? You know I switched to tea." (I swear, the switching happens middle of the night in whispers so there is NO way I can guess right.)
I don't know what happens every night, but she can change into this growling beast overnight. Or maybe that's the dog. Every morning, I feel like I'm spinning a roulette wheel when I knock on her door. What exactly am I going to wake up today? Will it be human? Or some really p--sed off hyena?
When she's really cranky, there is OCCASSIONALY moments that, if I randomly make up a silly song, she will actually laugh. But this trick is also scary as sometimes that is the "worst thing ever, so dumb" according to her.
It's a toss up. And I've tried having her set an alarm. She often sleeps thru it. She even had an alarm clock that shook her bed for awhile. That was loud and quit working. We haven't tried that alarm clock that runs away, but I think even I would find that annoying.
So every morning I brace myself. And what do I find?
(Photo above shows a sleepy in a bed with an equally sleepy pit bull)
And I try to remind myself that supposedly, this September, I will stand in front her empty bed and wonder if she is waking alone in her dorm room. Supposedly I will miss this morning dread and deep fear. One day I will no longer wonder if I will wake a human or some demented version of a haunted Chucky.
But that probably won't happen. You see, she has a younger sister. My guess is S. will pass on the dark magic to L.B. of how an evening Beauty can wake up a morning beast!
(I agree with the below meme:)
Then, in the middle of that first night, they feel a slight breeze, open their eyes, and find a small face RIGHT in front of their eyes saying, "Mom, are you awake?" It's eerie. If your face moves, you bump foreheads. Any closer, the kid would have been kissing you. It's a heck of a way to wake up! Somehow, in all the rush for a pink bed with Frozen sheets, the new mom forgot this meant the kid is now "free" to move about the house all the time. No matter the hour.
And thus the "stay in your bed" wars began. These wars last years. Darkening curtains are installed because the child never sleeps past 5am. I have three kids and I resorted to hanging an old, thick, dark comforter over the blinds. Surely, if I made the room totally dark, they might sleep 'til 5:15am? I was so tired. That's a big cloud over all my memories of their childhood, my feeling of a undying urge to sleep.
In desperation, moms try to teach time as young as possible. "Do NOT come to Mom's room until the little hand is on the six," we tell them. This rarely worked with my kids. They would "think they saw it right." I heard from my sister that the latest "sleep device" for kids is some alarm clock that shines a colored beam of light when they are allowed to leave their rooms in the morning. This was not available when mine were little.
So from the time they are born 'til maybe 10 or 11 years old, the kids are sweet dew drops of the morning. They wake up, like my daughter S. in this photo, all cute and smiling bright in their Barbie nightgowns, clutching Teddy Bears. They romp and play with the dog, so cheerful and loud every morning.
They smile. It's "Can I get up yet, Mommy? Can I? Yay!" whenever you come in their room each morning.
And then, around 11 years old or so, this cheerful morning glory of a kid morphs. It literally happens overnight (every night?) They go to bed, often even cheerful, or at least neutral, and then, oh man. Then comes the morning.
My alarm goes off. Big gulp. Coffee first? I probably need it. Because exactly what will I wake up this morning? Will it be my darling daughter? Or some angry lion with tangled mane and fangs (I swear, I saw fangs!)
Then I remember. She is a senior. This is her last year. It's even March now, so it's her last 3 months of school. I know this will shock everyone, but, she is "over it." College has caught her eye so finishing high school somehow just seems tedious and annoying.
Every morning, I hover nervously at her door. Sometimes I even bring a cup of coffee for her. That's a big risk though. Some mornings, she loves coffee, "Wow, thanks!" but other mornings it's "Why would I want that? You know I switched to tea." (I swear, the switching happens middle of the night in whispers so there is NO way I can guess right.)
I don't know what happens every night, but she can change into this growling beast overnight. Or maybe that's the dog. Every morning, I feel like I'm spinning a roulette wheel when I knock on her door. What exactly am I going to wake up today? Will it be human? Or some really p--sed off hyena?
When she's really cranky, there is OCCASSIONALY moments that, if I randomly make up a silly song, she will actually laugh. But this trick is also scary as sometimes that is the "worst thing ever, so dumb" according to her.
It's a toss up. And I've tried having her set an alarm. She often sleeps thru it. She even had an alarm clock that shook her bed for awhile. That was loud and quit working. We haven't tried that alarm clock that runs away, but I think even I would find that annoying.
So every morning I brace myself. And what do I find?
(Photo above shows a sleepy in a bed with an equally sleepy pit bull)
And I try to remind myself that supposedly, this September, I will stand in front her empty bed and wonder if she is waking alone in her dorm room. Supposedly I will miss this morning dread and deep fear. One day I will no longer wonder if I will wake a human or some demented version of a haunted Chucky.
But that probably won't happen. You see, she has a younger sister. My guess is S. will pass on the dark magic to L.B. of how an evening Beauty can wake up a morning beast!
(I agree with the below meme:)