Ending on a Positive

If you live in the plain Township area you really should come sit in my neighborhood around 7:00 pm, or as we call it family walk time.  It's really quite a specitcal.  There's Caden, running way ahead of us, Ellie wandering out into the middle of the road while she's playing with some little stick or lead she's found along he way, Vince lagging behind carrying an action figure and whining that his legs are tired or he wants to go down "his" hill.  There's Evan walking Jack, the whole reason for our walks, and me pushing Olivia, who may it may not be awake, in the stroller.  That's the visual.  What you hear is constant corrections from Evan and I. "Caden, slow down and wait for us!"  "Ellie, get out of the middle of the road!"  "Vince, come on.  We're GOING to go down your hill."  Repeat for the duration of the walk.  When we get home it's even more craziness while we try to get all the kids showered and in bed and wrangle a wild puppy who's trying to get into everything.  There's a lot of yelling and nagging.  Evan and I yell and nag as well.  It's unpleasant.  I don't like it and I've started following Gandhi's advice "Be the change you want to see in the world" (Which, while googling, I found he may never have really said.).  So I'm going to change our bedtime routine.  I'm going to do it
now.  And I'm taking a baby step.  I'm still trying to think of a way to make the would process go smoother, but in the mean time, I'm just going to add one little thing at the end of all the madness.  A positive.  Each night, after it's all said and done and the kids are tucked in bed (for the first time.  They'll be out of bed a million times before they actually fall asleep--yet another snag in the entire bedtime process.) I'm going to tell them something positive.  That way, the last thing they hear from me isn't "GET IN BED" in a yelling voice, or me yelling or nagging about brushing teeth it's something I look them in the eyes and tell them that I love about them.  Something that they've done that day that made me proud.  Something I love about who they are as a person, even if their behaviors are driving me nuts (Caden).  Each night I want them to fall asleep knowing that they're loved for who they are, no matter what.  Because they are and it's important that they know it because I tell them.  Assuming they know it  just isn't good enough. I need to tell them.  It won't wash away all the negatives I've done during the hell of bedtime routine, but it will at least end on a positive.  And right now, until I figure out a better evening routine, it's the best I can do.