photo credit: compfight
Ten things I learned when I woke up ten minutes before my children:
1. My morning starts off in a more peaceful fashion when I am first out of bed rather than last.
2. Breakfast was ready when the boys came downstairs and I was two steps ahead instead of clamoring to meet their needs.
3. I’ve learned the hard way that my attitude sets the tone for the household and when I’m grumpy and irritable, the tension increases dramatically.
4. I’m a better listener when I’m not chasing my tail. Duh, right? Some people that live here like to talk first thing in the morning. I’m not one of them. However, I’m more inclined to listen to this mindless drivel stimulating monologue if I have a head start on my routine. And plenty of coffee.
5. Margins: with a little bit of extra time, I don’t feel so pressured to get everybody ready and out the door.
6. The boys start their day, hopefully, feeling calm and confident rather than harried and frazzled.
7. Obviously ten minutes is not very long, but just the knowledge that I had a few extra minutes helped me make better choices about how I managed the morning routine.
8. Breakfast was enjoyed rather than inhaled and/or consumed in the car between gulps of coffee.
9. I made time to pray sincerely rather than flinging my to do list at God while I stuffed lunches in backpacks. We’re called to pray without ceasing and submit our requests to the Lord, but I find my words are more sincere when I am still, even for a minute.
10. Greater awareness of my impact as a mother. My words, my actions, even the expression on my face, has a tremendous influence on my children. Now that they spend almost seven hours a day out of the house, I want them to leave my presence feeling loved and encouraged rather than overly admonished.
