bedtime and giggles

Tonight I did the anti-parenting thing: I messed with the kids' bedtime. I'm not super-dee-duper strict on their bedtimes, but they each have a time which they get sent upstairs to get ready for bed and then, well, go to bed. We are usually within 5-10 minutes of that time for each kiddo.

I sent Linc to bed first and then, once he was ready, I laid down next to him, just to hang out for a bit. Then I realized that Jayne's bedtime had passed me by so I texted her from upstairs (don't make fun of convenience, folks...) and then kept texting her funny gifs until she rolled her eyes and came upstairs. (I didn't see her roll her eyes but she did send me a gif asking me if I was crazy so I'm certain there was an eye roll in there somewhere.)

And then she came and laid down on the other side of me and we looked at old Instagram pics for about 40 minutes. And giggled our booties off. Like completely gone. No more bums. (I write some funny stuff on Instagram, people! The pictures might not always be the best, but the captions are hilarious... in my kids' opinion, anyway. I have not the slightest idea where that comes from, because I don't actually think I'm that funny... But if you want to see for yourself, my Instagram is @katcragin_writes. If you've read my sock saga on Instagram, then you know the hilarity that is my life with J and L. If you haven't read it, no big loss, I promise.)

So at this point, my kids' bedtimes had been long gone. Now granted, we homeschool, so flexibility is on our side. But typically, I still get them up at a decent hour because that's life: you still have to get up at a decent hour and be productive no matter what time you get to bed. (Preparing them for adulthood, I tell ya.)

I tucked them both in and let them go to sleep, 45-60 minutes later than usual. And I have no regrets. (I mean tomorrow morning might be different when I'm trying to rouse them from the depths of sleep, but currently: no regrets.) 

Tonight, I prioritized things a little differently. I chose to reminisce with my kids, to giggle with them, and to hopefully create memories of "that one time Mom stayed up with us to look at funny pictures on Instagram." When they get older, I do want them to remember that we cared enough to try to get them ample sleep and give them a structured bedtime, for their own good. (It's the way we are wired around here.) But I also want them to remember the times when I was relaxed enough to enjoy our time together, bending the rules a bit to do so.

Now I don't know that there's a specific scripture that talks about letting your children stay up a little later than usual so that you can spend time giggling together (I'm pretty sure there isn't), but I do know that Jesus held children in a special place and in high regard. And he blessed them.

I think giggling with my children is blessing them.
I know it's a blessing for me!

KC