tough beans...

At what age do kids stop sleeping like this!??  Metta has been waking up several times a night for a week or so and we have NO idea why.  Usually after 5 or 6 times of getting up to try and soothe her- I'll just take her downstairs- put on a cartoon- and go back to bed.  And then at some point- she'll come upstairs and sneak into bed with us.  such a little turkey.  this morning I found her like this- snoring!  pretty cute, huh??  Until you find out she's had on these pjs for 36 hours now.  She wore them to the gym.  and then all day.  and back to bed again.  She shows everybody her 'scary skeletons!!!'.  I'm going to have to take them off while she's still sleeping so she forgets about them!

Parenting is tough beans.  It's all about picking my battles.
Let her wear the pjs- or fight her over it.  Let her cry it out and drive the rest of us crazy this week until normal sleep habits return- or just put her in front of a cartoon and then let her in our bed when she wants.
And obviously- sometimes I choose the easy answer. Because I'm too tired from the other battles to put up a fight at two AM or while I'm rushing out the door to get to work!!
The longer I'm a parent and the more I reflect on the successes of my parents- the more I realize that several types of parenting are successful.   And when it comes down to it- the most important thing I can do is teach my children correct principles.  Teach them to love God.  Choose the right.  and be Christlike.  I don't have to lose sleep over perfect diets or homeschooling or what extracurricular activities they are involved in!  I just need to teach them to be good.  and that's such a relief.  Because I am so sick of trying to get my kids to eat their broccoli!  :)