I’ve been honest about bedtime before.
I hate it.
Nobody ever wants to go to bed when they’re supposed to. Someone is always magically thirsty or hungry. Someone forgot to complete a homework assignment due tomorrow. There’s a shadow on the wall. There’s allegedly a lizard on the floor. It’s always something and it makes my blood pressure skyrocket.
So I don’t do it.
My older one is pretty self-sufficient so I kiss her goodnight, tuck her in, smell her breath to make sure she brushed her teeth, and off she goes. But I delegated the baby’s bedtime to my husband. He gladly accepted because he’s at work all day and it’s his quality time with her. But, I do love reading to them. So what that we don’t do story time like clockwork before bed like you’re “supposed to”. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes before a nap, sometimes to avert a meltdown.
The point is, there is no right or wrong. Enough with the “supposed tos”.
Motherhood is YOURS. Do it your way and don’t let anyone shame or guilt you. Your child isn’t going to join a gang because you didn’t read at bedtime. They’re not going to fall victim to a cult because you lost your shit one day and yelled. They’re not going to fail out of school because you let them eat sugary cereal.
Motherhood is hard but there are no experts. We’re all just trying to figure it out as we go and raise kind humans that don’t turn into raging assholes when they leave the safety of our nests. The only thing your “supposed to” do is love the shit out of your kids and do the best you can everyday. So, breathe…and shut the shamers down and do your thing.
????cred: Defalco Design
