Thursday, January 7, 2010

Ground Hog Day


I don't like bed time!  Not my bed time...the children's bed time.  It is the most stressful time of the day for ME!  By the time they are asleep and dreaming of all things good, I am tired, stressed, angry and depressed.

I don't deal well with the thousand and one times out of bed for a multitude of reasons.  Some sweet and the rest annoying to delay the inevitable.

Why can't they just go to bed?  The Dude will finally give in after 3 more hugs and 3 more kisses.

BUT...Miss Boo!  She will wage WWIII with me in order to get her way.  We usually end up fighting and when she falls asleep, I creep back into her room, saddened that I yelled at her.  Praying she won't hate me.  A kiss on her forehead and a tear in my eye, I go to bed.

AND THEN....morning comes.

She comes into my room with that delightful smile upon her face and snuggles with me in my bed...with a sweet, little "I love you Mommy".

3 comments:

Shannon said...

I don't know if it will help, but when we used to have bedtime battles I would go get a clock and set it next to the bed. I would stand and watch it, and tell the little night owl that once s/he was supposed to be in bed, they were on "my time." For every minute of "my time" they used, they had to pay me back some of "their time" - usually when they wanted to watch cartoons or play! I always made sure that the paybacks were doing things they didn't really like, such as helping with a chore. It honestly didn't take long before our bedtime battles were a thing of the past!
(And when it wasn't working, I would just try to tell myself repeatedly how much I would miss the "distractions" when they had all moved away, haha)

Robin said...

Thanks Shannon! I was hoping you would share some of your wisdom.

Anonymous said...

Oh girl I hear you! We kept having MAJOR issues with this! I finally went and bought those child locks that fit around the door handle and put it INSIDE their room so they couldnt get out! Worked like a charm! Now they STAY in their rooms and SLEEP! Heaven!!! (I do open their doors when I go to bed so they arent LOCKED in) It might seem a little harsh but I NEED my alone time! Oh, the time they figure out how to open them the routine was established and it hasnt been a problem! :) Good luck girl! And just for the record you are a GREAT Mommy!