Saturday, February 28, 2015

Mommy's guide to happy mornings

Have people ever doubted your parenting capabilities? I get it all the time and honestly I don’t mind it at all. I usually get tons of advice on how to raise my child, while I do listen to them, I do not guarantee to follow them. While I cannot claim to be best at the task, but I do try to give my best shot at it.

Just recently my interaction with another newbie parents got me some eye rolling and this made me wonder if I was really being tough on Smera. I mostly get in trouble for being a bit too strict with my daughter. But I believe toddlerhood is just the best time to learn all about discipline.

The newbie parents were appalled to hear that Smera’s sleep time on school days is 7pm. They felt it was an absolute injustice to the little one. I was asked questions like then when does she get time to play? My response to them was – “She perfectly manages to do everything a child needs to do before 7pm”. I might have sounded a little rude but this was the truth!

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Smera is a morning person, loves to get up at 6am (even on holidays). Her biological clock is tuned to it waking up early in the morning. Nothing is more special than seeing her get up with a smile every morning. The reason being she had a good night’s sleep – just a  simple logic. Morning’s are never a struggle with Smera and on most days she is extremely happy to be going to school. I never have to scold her to get out of bed.

As an infant too Smera had this habit of waking up real early, though I did have to put her into an early sleeping habit but that too wasn't a big task with her. And this good habit has helped her to settle into school routine. 

Smera leaves for school at 7am and unfortunately her school finishes at 3pm – a real long day. After school the little one loves to come back and unwind at home, colour a bit, play with her friends, dawdle around the kitchen to find her snack, have a bath, eat dinner and listen to stories just like any 4 year old child. The only difference might be that she skips her afternoon nap.

There is another reason why I chose early to bed routine for her that is because I have never been a morning person for most part of my life. My dad has had some real tough days to get me out of bed. Most days I have spent my time in classroom dreaming of sleep. And that is the reason why I want to put in good habits right from the beginning for her.


I have learnt from confirmed sources the ultimate mommy fact – most children are the happiest when they have slept well and their tummies are full.  As they grow up with they would need to focus more on studies and that’s when sleep will become even more crucial. Then why not practice good sleeping habits from the beginning itself.

9 comments:

  1. Smera is like me then. I am also a morning person...i can get up even at 4:30 easily, but can not stand the thought of being awake after 10pm or so. Even on weekends, i get up around 6. And i never sleep in the afternoon.

    I think going forward if she can get into a routine of sleeping by 9 or so and then 10 during college days, that would be best for her. Getting up fresh is very important.

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    1. That's lovely Alok .. After so many years into life it is only now that I have started appreciating the beauty of waking up early.. though I do sleep in on weekends till 7am. I am sure as she grows up her sleep time would reduce, but i will still make sure that she gets enough sleep to get herself recharged!!

      Thank you for stopping by!!

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  2. Nice to find another mom blogger from middle East :)
    Ahh your little girl has a very long day at school :( But that's nice how she gets to do all her play before hitting the bed in the evening :)

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    1. Bilna where are you based from??

      Unfortunately a long day at school but you will be surprised with kid's ability to adapt so whatever the situation ...

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  3. I think what works for both you and her is what is best. Sleeping early is good.

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    1. True Rachna .. our parenting should be based on logic rather than the norms and popular culture ..

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  4. I completely agree. It's known that everyone needs at least 6 hours of sleep. It's very important to sleep and rest so that you'll regain energy. I can tell you countless times where I would not sleep at all due to exams/schoolwork and it takes a big toll on me. It's hard being an adult sometimes.

    Btw I have not been here in soo long. Hope all is well with you and your family!

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    1. Hello J - nice to see on the blog, we all doing well, trust you are doing well too.. And you bet it is not easy being an adult!

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  5. Early to bed, Early to rise makes one healthy wealthy and wise :D. I remember hearing this all the time. For me mornings = laziness unlimited :P.

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