It may be time to bid a sorrowful farewell to morning quiet time. This week Minnow has begun to wake up before us, and with much noise, heavy footsteps, and bright light, we have been brought into the new day, whether we were ready for it or not. One of our last refuges of quiet adult time–the early morning–appears to be gone.
We knew we were on borrowed time. My brother’s kids started waking up at 5 when they were three and four, so I have always appreciated the fact Minnow reliably slept until 8. More recently, Minnow started waking up a little earlier and a little less reliably, so over the past year we went from having a solid 2-hour block in the morning (sometimes even 3, if I got up early enough) to one hour/30 minutes, tops.
We’ve tried to maintain a semblance of calm in the morning. One of Minnow’s current morning rituals is to lie on the couch and I will wrap them up snug in a blanket (the household refers to this as “burrito blanket”), and they’ll usually stay that way until they’re ready for breakfast. We keep the lights dim and maintain a low-key atmosphere.
Still, I’m crying on the inside here because I need quiet time and I’m sure not getting it. Morning quiet time is better than night quiet because I’m not as tired and can get things like writing done. I can either try to wake up earlier, which is really hit or miss as I honestly cannot function if its too early, or come up with some other strategy.