Eyeing curfews of the future
This is the only month of the year when there’s any talk of a curfew in our house. Most of the time, my kids are home and in bed — though generally not asleep — by the time I hit the hay. But not here, in this little summer town that offers a taste of independence. Here they are living large until curfew, which is 10 p.m. for Adam and Lilly and 10:45 for Maggie. That’s late for a sleepy mama whose been getting up in the wee hours of the morning to get work done so she can spend the rest of the day at the beach.
There have been a number of nights here that I’ve fallen fast asleep before the kids have come home. When they walk in the door, they wake me up and want to tell me all about what they’ve been up to, and I’m glad. But then they head off to bed and I’m wide awake, twiddling my thumbs and thinking about the near future when they are older and driving and coming in much later than 10:45.
This month is a little glimpse into the not so distant future. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it — already my hair is grey.
So be sure to cherish the days when your kids are all home and under one roof, sweetly sleeping before you head up to bed. Those times seem like they will last forever but rest assured, they don’t.
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FranklyStein is a blog by Chesapeake Family Magazine editor Betsy Stein who lives in Catonsville with her husband, Chris, and four children, Maggie, 14, Lilly, 12, Adam, 12, and Jonah, 8.
