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Several of my children have been terrible sleepers since the day they were born.

When they were babies it was exhausting. Looking back, I don’t even really know how I survived it. Actually, I’ve been learning that our amazing bodies adjust for survival depending on what’s going on. Just like the bodies of survivors of concentration camps adapted and adjusted, so do the bodies of sleep deprived parents (obviously the suffering level is not the same, but my point is about body adaptation).

But now, my kids are much older and their sleep issues have morphed into coming out of their rooms a million times (this is pretty much true of all kids in the universe though, right?), staying up until all hours of the night because they’re “scared they won’t fall asleep,” and general fear and anxiety.

We’ve tried a lot of different methods and ways of talking about this situation, and I’ve finally settled on the one that works the best for us.

It mostly has to do with the fact that it’s okay to feel scared, and that we were created to be able to withstand negative emotion—but that we don’t have to do it alone.

I’ve had many conversations with my 6 year old about how it’s okay to be scared, and that I know he’s safe. And because he is a son of God, with God’s help, he can conquer this fear. He can feel scared and still come out okay.

I just finished reading Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit, and it hit me that there are two things I want for myself, my husband, and my children more than anything.

I’m convinced these two things will help us conquer whatever comes our way—sleep troubles and beyond:

Grit and Guts.

What does grit and guts mean?

Grit is a determination to keep going and keep trying no matter the obstacles. It says failure isn’t a setback, but another step forward.

And guts refers to what propels us forward even when we’re scared. As someone who often deals with overly anxious feelings, I am certain that grit and guts are what help me through them.

Of course, in my opinion, grit & guts would be nothing without the help of a loving Savior, who I believe knows exactly how we feel in our worst moments. He overcame and conquered already—He knows how to help and He will not leave us alone. He is the source of grit and guts.

Printable Home Decor

I know you’ve all seen the signs that say something like, “Bless this home with love and laughter,” or some form of the same phrase. Well, I decided my prayer was a little different than that, so I created my own sign:

Bless this home with Grit & Guts.

Grit, guts, and the help, strength, and hope of God are how we’re going to make it through. I can feel it in my bones.

My kids are already annoyed with me for talking about Grit & Guts ALL. THE. TIME. Here it is hanging up in our “school room” at home. This is 16×20.

I made the printable available in my Etsy shop in several sizes and file formats. I got mine printed from Sam’s Club Photo Center. The 16×20 was about $10 and the 8×10’s were less than $2.