I’m not an early morning person by any means. In fact, I am quite the opposite. I love sleeping in as long as I can. Actually, I just love sleep. But there is something that I have learned as a mom, especially the last few months, waking early is worth it. It may not be easy. It may not be exciting. It may not be something I enjoy doing. But waking up early is so incredibly worth it.

The more I wake up early, the more I learn to treasure that time.

So let me tell you why waking early is worth it.

Waking up before the kids come running in with all their demands and requests of the morning gives me time to take care of myself first. I can wake up slowly instead of being thrown right into my responsibilities as a mom. I can brush my teeth, wash my face, maybe even squeeze in a shower. I have the chance to feel like I have been taken care of and not that all I do is take care of other people. I feel better about myself this way, and therefore my day goes better.

Waking up early is good for my mood. I’m happier when I don’t feel like I was practically pusehed out of bed in the morning. I have had time for myself and therefore, it makes me more patient with the kids. I am able to tackle what comes at me throughout the day generally happier as I do it. Just like when you have to wake your kids from a nap they tend to be cranky, if you can beat the process of being woken up you’ll feel much better too.

Waking up early guarantees that I can start my day off right. I have seen a huge difference in my life when I started doing devotions first thing. When I did them during nap time, sure it was still good. But when I started my day off putting my mind and heart in the right place, I had strength to carry me throughout the rest of my day. I notice the difference. I can drink my cup of coffee, read my Bible, and enjoy some quiet before the demands of my day beg for my attention. If anything, this is the biggest motivator for starting my day off early.

I may never classify myself as a morning person, but I do see the value in it. For years I wondered if it was really worth it, if it was really as important as people made it out to be. I can now attest to the fact that it makes a huge difference. Three kids later and time for me is scarce, any time I can get alone can make a huge difference. Even if it’s ten minutes before the kids wake up, try it. You’ll see that it makes a difference and makes you a better mom.

Do you get up before the kids? Do you feel like it makes a difference?