What If You’ve Tried and Tried and Tried? {Encouragement for When You’re Ready to Give Up}

I like to think that I am pretty easy-going when it comes to my parenting style.

In general, I don’t stress out over spilled milk, smashed cheerios or broken mirrors. I don’t mind uncontrollable giggles, nonstop chit-chatter, or even a rumbustious game of tag. The only time I am known to lose my patience with normal child-like behaviors is when I need a nap.

When I’ve been sleep-deprived, I am slow, impatient and dare I say . . . mean. I am a firm believer that children behave better and are generally happier when they are well-rested and, well, so do I!

That’s right folks – My name is Wynter Pitts and I am a napper!

When my kiddos were very young our days would be strategically planned around naptime, and bedtime would be deliberate and swiftly executed. We enjoyed our days together and played hard, but we had definitive boundaries and a system of shut-eye!

Then something happened.

Enter my 3rd and 4th daughters –twins.

We welcomed these beautiful girls into our world at once, but apparently they missed the memo. My new angels would . . . not . . . sleep!

It was not pretty.

Desperate for Help

I called for help.

Yes, I did. In my desperation, I reached out to a “baby sleep expert.”

She requested our current sleep schedule and then provided me a revised plan that was guaranteed to help us regain normalcy, well-rested children, and peace-filled days.

The new routine required me to make some adjustments to our already strategic sleeping schedule.  She prescribed intentionality and exactness to ensure the success of the program.  This required waking my sleeping children (wake up at precise times in order to ensure they would be ready to rest again when it was time).

Do you see the dilemma?

As I mentioned previously, sleep is a big deal and I didn’t particularly like to wake sleeping children. Especially a set of twins that were already not sleeping! Several conversations with the “baby sleep expert” gave me courage to begin the program in hopes that scheduling down to the minute would result in two sleeping babies, 2 happy big sisters, and an overjoyed mommy!

Reluctantly, I tried.

And tried.

And tried.

For a few weeks that seemed like an eternity, I would lay my girls down for a certain amount of time and keep them awake for the designated time. The intention was to train them to sleep at night with adequate nap times during the day.

I needed this to work and, frankly, it wasn’t.

I was definitely doing more waking up than they were sleeping, and I was miserable.  My efforts were not paying off and I was exhausted.

In a final attempt, I reached out to my “expert” and shared our trials with her.  I informed her that I was just about at the end of my journey with this experiment. I thanked her for her efforts and time but just before we finished our conversation, she said a few words that would be locked into my memory.

“Keep following the schedule as if it is working, because it will work.”

I am not sure why these words hit me so hard, but they did. I began our conversation with the intention of giving up, but I ended the conversation with a brand new drive, determination, and perspective.

When You’re Just About Ready to Give Up

A few more days went by with me putting down wide-awake babies and waking up barely sleeping babies.

I was working –  hard I may add – as if the plan were working . . . until one day, finally, it did!

One morning I woke up rested from a full night’s sleep and so did they.

Have you ever poured all of your blood, sweat and tears into something day after day with no result in sight? Maybe you are exhausted and just about ready to give up.

Well, I want to encourage you today with the same words that encouraged me . . . .

Keep  ______________ as if it is working, because it will work.

Fill in your blank.  Is it . . .  

Trusting God?

Being faithful in marriage?

Disciplining your children in love?

Friends, I encourage you to keep going as if it’s working. God promises that one day it will. 

~ Wynter Pitts, For Girls Like You

*What is something that you could use encouragement in right now? Anything we can pray about for you? 

This post may contain affiliate links through which Club31Women might get a small compensation – with no additional cost to you.  See my disclosure policy here.

Wynter Pitts is the author of the newly-released, For Girls Like You: A Devotional for Tweens. She is also the founder of For Girls Like You, a ministry to girls that includes a print magazine. She has a drive to introduce young girls to Christian values so they can walk passionately and boldly. A native of Baltimore, Wynter resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Jonathan, and their four daughters.

You can find Wynter on her blog and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

********

For Girls Like You: A Devotional for Tweens

Tween girls have access to an unbelievable amount of media and information with just a simple click of the remote or mouse. Every outlet they turn to attempts to subtly influence their worldview…and what they believe about themselves directly affects how they live.

Wynter Pitts, founder of For Girls Like You magazine, gives girls a new devotional showing them a correct definition of themselves, opening their eyes to God’s truth and the difference it makes in their lives. Each daily devotion includes a prayer to help girls apply the lesson. ~ from the Publisher

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)

For Girls Like You!  is available for purchase HERE:

For Girls Like You: A Devotional for Tweens