Dealing with fussy kids. Living off little sleep. Everything that can go wrong is. We all have days (or weeks…..or months!) like this. As we get to know one another, I hope we’ll be able to be a community of encouragement as we journey through this parenting thing together.
This story is a day in my life of three kids 2 and under. A lot has changed since 2011 (like an addition of 2 more kids!) but days can still be – and often are – crazy like this one.
It was one of those days.
My 2 month old refused to fall asleep until 11:45 the night before. Because I had stayed up past my “fall asleep point” while fighting with her, I could not fall asleep until after 2 a.m. – and that was on the couch. My 19 month old and almost 3 year old woke up at 6:40.
My husband had not gotten much sleep either; so we decided to make use of his sick time at work, letting him sleep in a little. Then, he would let me nap for a bit before going into work after lunch.
Feeling pretty miserable, I started the day with the kids. Logan (19 months) was more than a handful. She was fussy and very busy. It felt like all I was doing was fussing all morning long. Deciding she needed a nap since she woke up so early, I put her to bed.
When the hubby got up, I eagerly trudged up the stairs for some much needed sleep, leaving instructions on the baby’s nap and Briley’s (2 ½) potty training. I lay there tossing and turning for a while before hearing the baby crying because she wouldn’t go to sleep and Logan awake again after only an hour.
I finally fell asleep for about 30-ish minutes until the hubby woke me up to tell me that Briley had wet all over the couch. The baby was still crying, and Logan’s short nap had worn off. I not-so-eagerly got up again and went to help my also overtired husband. Fuses were short for all of us.
Daddy left for work, and Mommy got lunch. Lunch involved fighting with Logan to keep her bib on and discovering that Briley had wet herself again all over her high chair. Evie (2 months) was crying again because she could not get herself to sleep. She finally fell asleep, but a tantrum from Briley woke her up after about two minutes of quiet.
We reached 2 p.m. Now, Briley was asleep in her room, yay! Evie was sleeping (a little fitfully) in her bassinet in the living room, yay! And Mommy was getting some quiet time on (the two clean cushions of) the couch. Oh wait, I could hear Logan playing in my room because she thought she didn’t need a nap since she took a short one that morning. Yes, it was one of those days.
How can I teach my kids and keep a joyful spirit on a day like that day, much less remember to chase down the little moments of good? My kids need to see Mommy’s love for Christ, their daddy, and them even when she hasn’t had sleep the night before and their attitudes are testy. This blog is dedicated to helping moms/parents Chase Those Moments as life wiggles and squirms in the form of their energetic youngsters.
As I learn to make the most of the little moments by parenting purposefully rather than simply “flying by the seat of my pants,” keep a healthy and happy home, and disciple the young hearts entrusted to me, I will share activity ideas, inspirational thoughts, kid-tested recipes, and teachable moments. Hopefully, they will be a help to some of you as well as you find yourself dealing with fussy kids!
I’d love to hear that I am not the only one with days like this one! Has anyone else ever had “one of those days”? How have you learned/tried to keep a spirit of action rather than reaction in the midst of the chaos? Is there one thing you’ve found that helps you keep a calm demeanor and clear perspective when life seems out-of-control?
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Looking for more encouraging articles like this one? See the posts Is It Worth It?, Grace for the Chase, and Not-So-Good Days.
