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6 a.m.........6 a. freakin' m.
There are those of you out there (I know, I have talked to you) who are bright and cheery. You go-getters. You ready-to-go-when-your-feet-hit-the-floor people, you. Then later on in the afternoon you take a fifteen-minute nap and there you are...battery charged and ready to go!
But, for me, it's 6 a.m. and my eyelids don't work yet and thought processes aren't up to speed. I can talk in monosyllabic, monotone, responses to inquiries when necessary, but give me
coffee and about a half-hour for the puffiness to go away and I'll be fine.
The problem lies in this: I'm raising one of you. Six in the morning my precious, beautiful, cheery, blue-eyed three-year-old daughter is awake. "Where are we going today, Mommy?"
Nowhere. Sleep.
"Let's make pancakes!"
Later. Sleep.
"I have to go pee pee in the potty! Let's go!"
Go. I'll be there in a minute.
"Come on, Go with me!"
nnnnnuuuuuuuuughhhhhh right. Let's go.
Thus begins the morning.
My husband usually tries reasoning with her for a while. I'd like to stop him. To save him the disappointment later, but, he is just sure that one day she will understand. Sure she will. One day. But until then, "Honey, Mommy and I would like to sleep a little later this morning because it is Saturday and on Saturday we don't have to be up this early, so why don't you go back to bed or just play with the toys in your room quietly until we are ready to wake up. Okay?" isn't going to sway a bright cheery three year old from her appointed rounds.
Yes, I realize that one should not discourage this. I think waking up and being one of you would be excellent. However, waking up those who are not is not polite.
At this age, however she may not make her own breakfast. SO I'm up. Coffee. It's a good thing that pancakes come in just mix with water, because measuring this early in the morning could lead to the world's worst pancake disaster.
My Mother-in-law is one of you. At six A.M. or sometimes even five A.M. she is coherent, has a plan for the day, and is making coffee while doing the preparatory things for the day
that she thought of the night before. Why, with the knowledge and the power she could actually have the Post Office running faster! Imagine your mail being there when you got up, your
packages arriving on time, hey, and how about a cheerful clerk at the counter! Gee.
I guess what our job is, as parents, to make sure that the energy that she gains that early in the morning or at any time of the day is put to good constructive use. Not just chores,
but, studying, practicing an instrument. Reading Plato or Homer, a medical journal or perhaps, discovering her own best talent. Please, God, don't let it be tap-dancing...........Six a. m.
Other Articles by Tina Urbik:
Stop and Smell the Apples
Made in America or Not
It's An Antiseptic World
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