Comfort

Today's gift is comfort.

Let's be honest, how many of you let your kids sleep with you (sometimes...like when one of the parents is out of town) or let your kids snuggle with you in bed when they come in either during the night or in the morning?  I know some will say they never allow their kids in their beds....and I respect your decision.  But in our house, I don't think that would ever be a rule as our kids LOVE our bed and the comfort of having us next to them.  We have a king size bed and we can all comfortably watch tv sitting on it together.  However, this does not happen much....it is more the kids sit on it and watch tv.

Our daughter has lots of sleep issues that over the past year have gotten significantly better!!!!  We tried everything to get her to go to sleep and STAY asleep at night and finally we realized that a high protein snack as her dessert is what she needed!  Had I known this sooner, trust me I would have tried it!

From an early age our daughter has always had to have someone lay beside her to fall asleep....she has to have that comfort of knowing we are there until she drifts off to dreamland.  I will be honest,  when her sleep issues were horrible and I mean horrible (we would have to drive her around for hours at a time when she was little to get her to fall asleep and then PRAY she didn't wake up during the transition!!!) I just prayed that she would be able to fall asleep on her own one day as she was taking up MY time and the time my husband and I were to spend together.  I don't mean I wanted to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight and go downstairs to watch my shows.   I mean after her two stories if she was still awake, to be ABLE to leave her in her room and say goodnight.  But she would (and still does) jump out of bed and come find me.

Today our sleep is worlds apart from where it was and usually it is during the second book she is out like a light.  And I love this time with her!  I love reading to her not only books that she loves (she picks out what book she wants every night) but chapter books that were my favorites when I was her age!   And I have also asked her friends what they are reading so she can read the same books as her peers.  I do the same with my other two children and love this time at night when I can give them that level of comfort before they drift off to sleep.

Now two of my children sometimes come in either during the night (once every 10 days) and early in the morning (they like to get up between 5-6am!!).  The middle of the night visits I don't like and we just walk them back to bed and tuck them in....but if it is my daughter with special needs, then we have to stay with her until she falls back asleep, which means we also fall asleep in her bed.  Honestly, as long as I am getting sleep, I will sleep on the floor!!!

If my daughter comes in early in the morning, we let her get in our bed and watch tv while we continue to sleep (or try too).   I would say 8 of 10 times she moves closer and closer to us and once she feels that we are right next to her, she relaxes and falls back to sleep.  Again it is having that level of comfort and wants to know that everything is ok.

I am NOT a morning person, so I will take this time to comfort her any day!  I love when she cuddles in bed next to me and can drift right back to sleep.  I love watching her sleep.  Do not think that I am weird, but there is nothing like watching your child sleep.  They look so innocent and calm and I always wondering what they are dreaming about.  I especially love looking at my daughter with special needs when she sleeps, as it is the one time where she is calm, not anxious, not wringing her hands, not upset....she is comfortable and relaxed and peaceful.

Our kids are never too old to tell them that you love them and to hug them.  I always want my children to know that if they need comfort in their lives (at any age!) that my arms are always open for them.  If MY time at night doesn't get started at the time I would like it to because one of my children still needs my comfort to help them go to bed, well so be it (some nights this is easier said than done, but in my heart I know what I have to do)....I need to be there for them and I always will.   I want them to be relaxed and have sweet thoughts as they drift off to sleep.  And I always want them to know that I will always be here to comfort them.

Today's quote is....

A mother's love is something we keep locked deep in our hearts, always knowing it will be there to comfort us" - Harmony Ferrario