Taking care of two preschoolers is chaotic and exhausting. They frequently test my patience. One minute, they’re playing well together. The next minute, they’re fighting over a toy. They roughhouse and jump down the stairs. My two-year-old is constantly climbing to new heights. “Be a good example and get down,” I tell my four-year-old, as they romp on my bed. A head bump is inevitable.

When visiting family over a recent holiday, I struggled to get my two-year-old to bed. He screamed when I took him into the bedroom. He wouldn’t lay down with me even though it was late. He had to be tired. I offered to rock him in a chair, but that didn’t work. We went back to bed. He continued to roll around, head butting me in the lip at one point.

Finally, he settled down when I put my arms around him and cradled him close. His head rested on my shoulder, and we both relaxed. I kissed his soft hair and prayed for him as he drifted off to sleep. It was a precious moment. Wyatt is always on the move and he sleeps in his bed at home, so snuggling with him like this was special.

The next night, I struggled to get Maverick to settle down for bed. “Just a second, Mom.” He had taken a sudden interest in combing his hair. He then needed to park a toy truck in an imaginary garage. I tried to coax him into bed with a book. We looked for hidden pictures in a Highlights magazine until my eyes crossed. When we finally found the last object, I yawned and said, “Ok, it’s time for bed.”

He replied, “But Mom, we haven’t read a Bible story yet.” Master manipulator.

I sighed, “Ok, one story.”

He’s stalling and knows I can’t say no to that. So we snuggled side by side and listened to a story on the Bible for Kids app. He touched the interactive pictures and answered a few questions correctly (which was a first). It sparked conversation about Jesus and how much He loves us. Another precious moment.

These are the moments that melt away my tension and fill up my contentment cup. I marvel at these little men God gave us to raise and pray for wisdom to disciple them. How can I instill a legacy of faith in them? How can I be intentional about cultivating spiritual conversations? About continually connecting with them?

At home, I try to read a Bible storybook or a chapter of The Jesus Storybook Bible with Maverick before bed at night. We have two Veggie Tales albums he likes to play on an old CD player. Or Christmas music, he’ll listen to that year-round. We dance together (I usually hold him), and then I tuck him in and pray. It’s a process, and some nights I don’t have the patience for it, but I hope it will pay dividends later. I want my kids to feel secure and spiritually sound.

My first Bible was a Precious Moments edition. What resources do you all use to create precious moments at home? Comment below!