As mothers we don’t seem to ever catch a break. When daylight savings time ends, we fall back and change the clock to one hour earlier. When daylight savings begins in March, we spring forward to one hour later. Moms either gain more work in the day or have to do more with less time. The children will either wake up earlier or moms will have more work to do during the day.
I realized this as I laid in bed on Sunday morning and heard two voices. I looked at my clock. Oh, goodness. It’s half past five o’clock in the morning. It’s Sunday morning. Oh, please, “why can’t you boys sleep in,” I silently asked myself. I tried to stay in bed a bit longer, just long enough until I heard both voices bickering. Someone wasn’t playing nice.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Jonathan said as he walked into my room. “Are you kidding me,” I silently asked myself. Well, if I was going to get up this early, I might as well put laundry in the washer. I got up, brushed my teeth, and dressed to work out. I took two loads of dirty laundry and put them in the washer that morning.
And I know my Jonathan, he needs to build his appetite. He wouldn’t eat a full plate of pancakes at this hour. So instead, I told both boys we’re going to exercise a bit before I make breakfast. They’re actually delighted. They rushed to put on their shoes before we went outside with the scooters. They scoot and I ran after them.
This day was beginning to feel really productive. And looking back, I’m pleased.
Guiding Lesson: Eve, welcome to “social jet lag.” This is when your natural rhythms are not synchronized with what the world demands of you, who at times are your children. Falling back in the fall and gaining an extra hour may sound delightful. But who is actually benefiting from this? You know that moms are not in this category. Their children honor their own rhythms regardless of falling back or springing forward.
I’m glad you were able to take a situation that could have be miserable and made it productive. Getting some exercise and including your children in the process was a great idea. The fact still remains that when you don’t go to sleep at the same time each night, there is a form of jet lag that you will experience and will impact your body, mind and spirit. I remember someone saying that jet lag is when your physical body arrives or wakes up to a new time while your spirit is still traveling to catch up. During this time you feel disoriented and not fully yourself.
It appears to be a problem across the board. There are so many over-tired people. The only ones enjoying life are children because they follow their needs of their bodies, minds and spirits. I’m sorry to say, Eve, they will eventually lose this because the world will force them into its demands and values.
I know you are probably wondering how can you help your spirit arrive so you can enjoy each day? If you are interested, I will share resources on Twitter and Facebook. Enjoy your days. I feel like I want to hibernate. How about you?
Grace
MissGuidedMom 