A little lesson from my daughter

[Overview:] Right now I’m supposed to be either a) getting the house ready for my FIL and MIL to spend the weekend or b) working

My daughter (1yr) taught me the best lesson last night.

For the past month or two, she’s been putting up a fight when it’s time to put on her jammies. Here’s how her routine usually goes:

After dinner, we give her a bath, dry off, put on a clean diaper, and then read a book and laugh and talk. Then it was time to change into her pajamas. I’d say, “Okay, Emma,” interrupting whatever she was enjoying, “it’s time to put on your PJs!” And then, in the same motion, I’d pick her up and place her gently on her back, on top of her unzipped footie pajamas. This is where things usually take a turn for the worst.

She starts swingin’ and kickin’. I try getting her arms and legs in the right sleeves as fast as I can while trying to hold her still enough to pull up the zipper without pinching her little leg.

Damned-near out of breath at this point, I pick her up and try to give her a hug before putting her in her crib and giving her a bottle. She panics because she wants the bottle NOW. Things are going well.

but tonight was different

We did the same routine, but this time, when she started throwing a tantrum I took a new path. (read this next sentence faster and faster) Instead of trying to get jammies on as fast as humanly possibly so I can get her in her crib and hand her a bottle before sneaking out of the room

(now take a breath. read normally)

I slowly picked her up, cradled the back of her head in my right hand, and gave her a big hug. She relaxed in my arms.

I then slowly placed her back down, on top of the pajamas, and we calmly put each limb in its proper sleeve, one by one. I gave her another hug and a kiss on the cheek, laid her down in her crib and handed her a warm bottle of milk.

I dimmed the lights and quietly shut the door.

Isn’t it amazing how taking just a couple of seconds for love can help change the energy of a whole entire experience?