Early to bed, early to rise

Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise

Makes a mama patient, cheerful and easy on the eyes.  :)

As much as I hate mornings, I have to admit that getting up early (which means, up and ready and on the move before the kids wake up) really does make a difference in my day.  I am more in control of my to-do list, my emotions, and our schedule.  However, on the days that I get up with the kids, I am draggy and basically reacting to their needs and wants; those are my most unproductive days.

A friend of mine (Tracey) once said that if she gets up at the same time as her kids, she feels like she’s late to work.  That registered with me: Being a homemaker/mom/homeschool teacher is my job.  I wouldn’t have dreamt of showing up late when I was a government-school teacher; in fact I was there an hour early in order to be prepared for the day.  Why am I not consistently doing the same for my own kids?! 

I know that getting up before the rest of the family is a benefit to me:  I am more cheerful and less stressed if I’ve had time to connect with God through uninterrupted prayer and Bible reading; I am highly motivated to take action on my to-do list if I have time to quietly look it over and prioritize; and I am happier to see my kids if I’ve had time alone, being ‘Tammy’ before being ‘Mommy’. 

So, I want to develop the habit of getting up at a set time each day.  Since Daylight Savings Time begins in less than a week– (Spring forward,) I’m going to have to do some adjusting.  Each day this week I’ll set my alarm clock, and make a 15-minute daily adjustment to accomodate the upcoming time change:

• Monday, 7:00
• Tuesday, 6:45
• Wednesday, 6:30
• Thursday, 6:15
• Friday, 6:00
• Saturday, 5:45 
• Sunday, 6:45 (same time to my body-clock as Saturday)         

I think next week I may commit to 10 days at 6:45, but I have to get through this week first.  Is anyone with me?  Want to take the Early-to-Bed, Early-to-Rise Challenge?