Don't Turn the Lights Out

This past Thursday, at my moms group at church, our pastor, who has such a shepherds heart, spoke about marriage. It was awesome and I think all that he shared resonated to each and every wife present. He shared wisdom, studies he has done, biblical truths. I walked away feeling so rejuvenated. One of the many things he touched on was something about parenting. It was rather a tid bit or tangent that he just threw into his speaking time. He said this, "By the way parents, don't ever just put your kids to bed, turn the light off and walk away. This is a special time with your child to sit and talk. They will open up to you, and it happens at bedtime." SO profound, so true and I agree wholeheartedly.  I shouted a big AMEN in my heart and told him after I loved that he shared that.

Thinking about bedtime with my children. I love it. It's the end of a day filled with excitement, learning and love and to be cozied up with freshly bathed children, warm jammies and dimmed lights, well it just brings on a big sigh. A sigh of rest. A sigh of closeness together. A sigh of a day well spent. A sigh of quiet time.

I love our nights together with my family. We all pile into our big bed, kiddos and all. We all get under the warm blankets, I dim our overhead light and we pray together as a family. And now that my oldest is 3 (dont forget the 1/2) ;-) he loves to talk while we all lay in bed together. I love it. His latest concern is shadows and  having bad dreams. While these aren't the biggest concerns to say a 13 year old opening up and sharing, its a concern to him. Showing my son that we can talk about our bad dreams, that we can pray about them-that we would have "sweet dreams" and to encourage him that he doesn't have to be scared...it is priceless. While my youngest is just one, he gets to cozy in with us and share hugs.

allposters.com

I know many moms who do/have done this and have wonderful relationships with their precious older children now. Relationships of openess. My mom was one of them too. I still remember laying next to her and talking as a little girl. To this day, my mom is the person I can share anything with. Because she allowed bedtime to take 30 minutes instead of 5. Its the best. And to experience this now with my boys, is something I cherish so deeply.


I love bedtime because of hearing their little hearts express their concerns. Their love. Their excitement of the day and what's to come tomorrow.

I love bedtime and I hope you do too! Take 30 minutes or more and just love and listen to them. Stroke their hair and face and marvel at them as they drift off to sleep. Investing in them, is a beautiful thing.

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Deut. 6:6-9

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Sweet dreams.