Bedtime

I read a quote on a blog not too long ago and it has stuck in my head like glue. It was by Harold B. Lee.

Parents, remember that now is your opportunity,
You may feel yourself harassed as you struggle
through the days with children
But you are living the happiest, most golden days of your life
As you tuck them into their beds at night,
Please be kind to them.
Let them hear a kind voice amid all the
Angry voices they will hear throughout life.
Let there be a anchor to which these
Little ones can turn when all else fails
The Lord help you so to do...

I'm finding these words a great reminder. At bedtime around here, all too often there is crying and yelling. Boys get tired and refuse to admit it, they argue with each other about drinking water and who goes to the bathroom first and who walks up the stairs first and this and that and everything in between. It is so hard not to yell and get frustrated because mommy and daddy are tired too. But this verse is there, reminding me to speak kindly. Tonight was a little rough and boy did I feel guilty when I got downstairs. I thought about the last words the boys heard before they slept and they weren't very kind ones. It was really bugging me so I went upstairs and apologized and kissed my three wonderful little blessings and whispered a kind word in their ears. This quote was something I needed and won't soon be forgotten.