When the kids were little, she was all about the night time routine. Dinner, bath, book, and then bed. They were in bed by 7.30pm. She then found her quiet. That moment of calm after the chaos of a day filled with little children. She looked forward to this quiet all day long. It was her island.

Now, her moments of quiet are not at night. The kids stay awake late; they are night owls.  They stomp around the house, getting water and snacks, and watching TV with the volume too loud. Some nights, she keeps herself awake just to do pick up. The nights are no longer her island.

Instead, it is the morning. Before the kids wake up, she has space. She can exercise, or sleep in, or just sit with her book and a morning coffee. She has found a new quiet.