Well, here I am 2 weeks into my January challenge of getting up each morning before my kids to get my mind and heart ready to wake them up. My goal in doing this is to create an environment in our home in the morning before school and church that is not rushed or so crazy that we never connect with each other. I have been very guilty of waiting until the VERY last moment to get up, and that leads to stress in my home.
Monday was my first day in the HELLO MORNINGS challenge that Kat puts on through INSPIRED TO ACTION. This is a way to stay accountable with a group of women. I have my group and we check in every morning on facebook. It's kinda weird to be talking and saying Hi to women I don't know each day, but I also find it very comforting to know that we are all in the same boat of trying to rise earlier in the morning to prepare our hearts and minds to be the best moms that we can be!
Here's a few things I've noticed ….
- I am truly enjoying starting my day in the Word. This may not be where I study and dig, but I'm reading it and find myself thinking on what I read throughout the day. Love setting my mind on things above first thing in the morning.
- I still hate it. I still cringe when my alarm goes off, and have yet to not snooze at least twice before getting out of bed.
- I overslept on Monday (school holiday), and begged my children to stay in their rooms for 20 more minutes so I could read and pray. They obliged and I was pleased. I realized then, that I do like this alone time first thing in the morning.
- Our mornings are so different. In fact one day after I took the boys to school I come home and Aaron asked what was going on this morning. He had heard me reading a book to them before school and thought it was crazy. He said it was TOO CALM in the living room.
- This is really helping Amos. He's the one that struggles so much with chaos, and I find myself living in chaos sometimes, so this is good for him.
I'm two weeks in and as much as I hate it each morning at 6am, I am seeing the fruit and benefits of it and that makes me happy. Anyone else out there trying this? How's it going?
I have yet to get up before my daughter because she’s 10 months old and we are never sure of when she is going to wake up, but I am also doing the Hello Mornings Challenge (but not in a group) and I do love that time. It helps me so much get focused on the day!!
That’s funny, I just wrote something really similar on my blog yesterday! My son’s not in school yet so I don’t even have to get up until 7:00 but I am still seriously struggling! PATHETIC! I need to check out that Facebook group!
I’m also doing the hello mornings challenge (thanks for bringing that to my attention) and am loving my little facebook group check in. But I’m still struggling. I also do not have to be up early as my son is a really late sleeper (he’s 2), but I find that when I do get up early, I love starting the day a little slower and am in a much better state of mind to greet him when he wakes. And oddly I find I’m more energized throughout the day after meditating with God first thing. But I’m still praying for heavenly intervention to turn me into one that doesn’t hit the snooze button every. single. morning.
I’m with ya. Starting to (gulp) look forward to it a little. I have over slept a day or two and those days were TERRIBLE!!! I desperately need some quiet time. The kids keep getting up earlier so I’ve started setting out their Bibles. It’s fine if they get up but we are going to have some quiet time if it KILLS me!
I started with the Hello Mornings challenge this week as well, but I chose a forums group. I sort of wish I’d chosen FB or Twitter — they fit with the way I do things so much better. Oh well.
Things I’ve learned this week:
* It feels flipping strange to get up after hitting snooze only once.
* I let what I need to get done expand to fill the time I have. Bad, bad, bad.
Things have been so much more calm in my house too. Yay! It’s great that your son is responding well. I think mine is still adjusting, but we’re getting there.