At the beginning of the summer it was my big plan to get my boys to make up their beds everyday. Its a good life lesson, right?
When I was single and working I made my bed every morning. Not because I’m a neat freak–far from it. It was because it was so satisfying and homey to come home every night and my bed was neat and clean and ready for me. I was the only one there to take care of me. So I did. By making up by bed.
It made me happy so I thought it might make them happy to.
The boys did a really good job making their beds. The bedspreads weren’t perfectly smooth and the sheets didn’t get tucked back under the mattress– but the pillows were in the right spot and you could tell everything had been pulled together and folded back ready for bed that night. Just like I would do. We also open the blinds and turn off the air purifier.
But it didn’t take long, at all, for me to realize I missed that little ritual. And for now, I am here, to take care of them everyday. Luckily.
Before summer “neatening the beds” had been one of the things I did after the boys went to school. It takes about 3 minutes–again, I’m not a neat freak– but I learn so much from it. Who tossed and turned all night so their covers were all in a jumble. Who slept so hard their sheets are hardly messy. I get to see who spilled their water, dropped their book on the floor, or left socks in the sheets.
It’s my way of showing I love them and I care about what the bed looks like and feels like when they crawl in at the end of a big day. Its been fluffed and smoothed and tucked and is waiting to hopefully help them sleep soundly and be rested and ready for whatever the day brings.
And I’m not ready to stop doing that.
So we are working on clearing our breakfast dishes instead. And I love it!