“I do not want you to hit me. I want to hold you.”

Parenting Field Notes #1

I have asked my children over and over again to stop wrestling and come brush their teeth. It’s getting late, and I’m determined to get them in bed at a reasonable hour tonight. They’ve been up late for several days as our bodies adjust to summertime and we drop our early morning school routine. I know the sleep deprivation is catching up with them, and the nature of their play doesn’t feel joyful to me, it feels strung out and overextended. More like the punch drunkenness of overtired-ness than glee.