our nighttime routine // living well 2021...
“YOU’RE NOT GONNA MASTER THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN ONE DAY. RELAX. MASTER THE DAY . THEN JUST KEEP DOING THAT EVERYDAY. ”
remember that time i told you about how i’d been having the most difficult time managing my time? remember how i wrote that i was learning that it wasn’t just about making time or simply managing but, more specifically, prioritizing properly… about seeing healthy choices as a resource for everyday life and not just a goal to be achieved?!? how getting better sleep and creating a healthy night routine was the first healthy choice i’d like to tackle as a family!!! remember how i wrote that i’d be circling back around to check in and share how our family nighttime routine pans out in our next health + living well post here on the blog…
well that’s now.
we are here.
this is the post…
the bad news is that we had yet to actually implement the family nighttime routine. the good news is, it’s been talked about, the plan has already been established and was just sitting there waiting for us to press GO!!!
i am typing up this post with the hopes of checking back in tonight to add picture proof of our first night routine in the books, lol!!! ill be pressing publish on this post whether I accomplish the goal or not. let’s all clap it up in advance for photo proof because blog posts are always better when pretty pictures are involved…
FAMILY NIGHTTIME ROUTINE
8:00pm- screens off
this one is more for the adults and less for the kids. crazy how we can be so good at teaching them the very thing that we struggle with ourselves to follow. winding down is so necessary and its time we took a few for the team, with the team…. as a team. (pray friends, because I love to fall asleep to an episode of anne w/ an e and/or the crown, ughhhhh)
the kids have been doing an incredible job working through their night time chores (mostly involving clean up after dinner in the kitchen and a load or two of laundry. brian has been the supervisor on duty during this time which means that i am currently getting in a half an hour or so of random reading right before the night routine officially begins.
8:05pm- self-care + essential oils
this is photo proof of the clock on my night stand that has yet to be pushed back an hour and therefore is actually 2omin or so until the start of our self-care portion of our new night routine. kinda excited about this part. when the oils start to diffuse and the record player starts to sound, they know what’s up. spending a bit more time on hair, nails, skin, vitamins, night-time tea… just adding more room for teachable moments and attempting to lead by example.
8:15pm- writing/journaling
this is my favorite. our new writing time. we usually include our journal writing at the end of our lessons for the day. but, the more our lives are full of lessons and the school day doesn’t really have a beginning or an end, I thought it would be best to end the night with a little journaling as a family. tell the story of the day. make room for your thoughts and feelings, that is the goal.
8:35pm- reading/devotions
we’ve also moved our family devotions to the end of the night rather than the start of the day. we still read a devotion in the morning but it is typically short and sweet while this time is meant to dive in a bit more together as a family and this particular nights study was incredibly special. I feel so grateful to have captured it on camera even though it is most certainly a part of the vlog that I set aside and saved for our eyes, hearts and minds only.
8:55pm- confessions/prayer
after our bible study and devotional we end w/ our confessions of faith. we had gotten away from doing these together regularly and we’ve missed this part of our day. brian typically covers the kids chalk wall w/ scripture that we stand on and want hidden deep in our hearts.
9:00pm- worship
then a little more music, worship music this time around… while the kids head to their separate beds to wind down w/ a little more reading, more writing and sometimes a little drawing or coloring depending on how they are feeling.
9:30pm- sleep
to all a good night ZZZzzzzzzz…..
honestly, i have no earthly idea how ill make it to sleep anywhere before 1am in the morning… but heres to big dreams and a bigger faith walk! we vlogged our first attempt at our new family night time routine and we are looking forward to it getting better and better every day… or night 🎉
with all the love, bc i'm here for the journey,
syreena