My kids won’t go to bed, and it’s been this way for years.
They have a set bedtime, but something always seems to get in the way: hunger, a stomach ache, extended bathroom break, the Monday Night Football score … it’s endless.
As parents we tend to feel like we never get any time to unwind, shower, think about things, pee, pay bills … the list goes on and on.
Even when my kids are in bed they’re not in bed. They have one more question, need a drink, have to poo, or their hair hurts.
What’s tough for us to realize in our moment of exhaustion is that time is running out.
We’re so used to these little maniacs running rough-shot through our house, grinding food into the carpet and destroying our furniture that we never stop to realize that they’re not going to be with us forever. And before they’re actually gone, they don’t really want us around because we cramp their style.
And that’s when you miss the chaos.
I’ve been think about this a lot lately. So I’ve tried to answer that last question about the back-up tackle on the 2008 Cougar football team, or saying “yes” to one more book about a teacher that’s actually King Kong. Because this will all come to an end much sooner than I want it to.
When the chaos is finally gone I’m going to want that one last question. Only the motor-mouth 8-year-old with a touch of insomnia won’t be there.
—Photo rkramer62/Flickr
