There are a few gifts that are important to give our children no matter what. We need to teach them what I call “life skills”. These include, among other things, manners, looking people in the eye, knowing how to swim, trying new foods, eating a balanced diet and perhaps most important of all – sleep.
Sleep is a gift we give ourselves but it requires training. We need to create routines and comfort around sleep. We need to enable sleep and cultivate it and model it. We need to respect it, enjoy it and demand it.
Without sleep our bodies, minds and emotions suffer. We heal at night, we dream at night, we balance at night.
As moms, one of the most important things we must teach our children is that sleep is mandatory to health and well being. It is one of those gifts that in giving to our children, we give it to ourselves.
I saw something concerning this on TV at the weekend. Thanks for covering it in greater depth
you are right about this Jen. I need my sleep and at times think of it as a weakness. It is a compelling topic and one that is often judged. We show our kids the way but they ultimately show us their way too.
Sleep is a gift but I have learned with my kids that, like most things, it comes easier to some. I used to beat myself up a lot about my son’s trouble sleeping and his less than recommended hours of sleep according to “experts”. Now he still has sleep challenges but he is a happy, smart, confident, active, wonderful tween! Sometimes it is simply the way they are.