Peace & Quiet In The Morning Time And The Night Time

There are certain times in the course of the day that mothers are prone to go crazy.  Those are the times when moms are trying to meet time deadlines, a lot of different things are going on at the same times, the needs of more than herself (and usually way more than herself like 7 other people or more) must be met in a small time constraint and she has not had enough time to get the rest she needs.  How many times did I use the words time or times in that sentence?  The noise level at those times is directly related to the number of bodies in one house and the stress level at those times is always magnified by the noise level. 

If you are a mom you know these times occur mostly at two specific times:  the morning and the evening, when it is just getting light and when it is just getting dark.  Is it a coincidence that most child abuse happens at these times?  I read this somewhere around the time I had a great idea come to me.

PEACE AND QUIET IN THE MORNING AND THE NIGHT!

It became our new rule and our mantra.  I would ask "What time is it?" to remind the kids and they would answer (in soft voices) "Peace and quiet in the morning and the night time!"  Morning time was when they got up in the morning until they left for school, play, etc.  Night time was when it started getting dark or when they came in from playing outdoors or when I starting getting dinner and did not end the whole night.  During those times there were no loud voices, no crying or whining, no running and wrestling, no loud television, no fighting.  This was the time to get ready, do chores, say prayers and read scriptures, work on homework, play quietly, get along with each other, pick up, etc.

This rule changed my life.  I was no longer the crazy woman; I accomplished all things better; I was nicer; I listened more; I found peace in my home.  It did not always work perfectly and many times we would need reminding with "What time is it?"  Battles in the morning almost disappeared and we were more happy with each other when we parted.  Having that rule helped us to calm down so we could have nice dinners and relaxing evenings together.  The spirit in our home and in my own soul changed.