Getting to that point in the evening when it's the kids' bedtime feels like you just won a marathon, you know slow and steady wins the race.
But then you remember you still have the 100m sprint to go; you race upstairs for teeth-brushing and pyjama changing, then you have to read books and turn off lights in three different bedrooms and then the child in bedroom number one needs to go pee again.
There's a pretty good chance that you were once Usain Bolt, but then you realise that he wins races - there is no winning here.
Because parenting doesn't switch off at 8pm (or 9pm) when you eventually have the young ones safely tucked in.
There's still the matter of prepping for tomorrow and being on alert for nightmares, or sporadic night time toilet trips.
Let's face it, you're completely exhausted at this point, but you're not going to bed just yet because you need an hour or two of quiet for your sanity.
Mum-of-three, Christine Leeb, constantly feels this way: "I love my kids, but by bedtime, I’m just exhausted. At 8pm, my patience shuts off. It’s like I have some sort of glitch in my mummy code, or maybe I just missed the patience upgrade with each kid or something?"
Christine feels as though she is forever jumping through hoops, nonetheless, she explains to Her View From Home, the four hoops she never fails to jump through when it comes to her kids' bedtime routine.
The mum-of-three has four questions she asks her children every night before they go to sleep, believing the routine has brought them closer as a family: "It has changed our relationship. It has brought us closer. It has created a more positive shift in their focus throughout their day and in mine."
Questions such as: 'What was your favourite part of the day? What was the least favourite part of your day? Do you have any questions about your day? How did you show kindness or love today?' are ones which Christine credits for comforting her children.
Calling her questions 'hoops', Mum is content knowing that when they reflect upon their day, that not only will her children inform her of the things that may have upset them, but they'll also revel in focusing on the fun aspects.
And moreover, they enjoy being told of the good things they completed in their day such as carrying their plates to the sink or being kind to their siblings, Christine believing her children have become quite conscious of being kind throughout their day ever since she began the hoops.
"Because of jumping through the 4-Questions hoops of positivity, reality, honesty, and integrity every night, I have laughed louder, cried more, snuggled closer, and taught lessons about life that I would not have had the opportunity to do in the busyness of the day."
Christine politely requests that all mums join her in asking the four hoops each night before tucking in your children, as she firmly suggest these will be the four hoops you won't regret jumping through as a parent.
With such a positive reaction and a closer bond with her little ones, we're thinking of taking on Christine's routine. Do you think this is something your children would react positively to each night?
