James's bedtime ritual
Lisa writes: Joseph (23 months) goes to bed like this:
1. PJs and sleep sack on.
2. Give him a milk bottle while reading a chapter of the children's Bible.
3. Say prayers with the whole gang.
4. Brush teeth. Switch to water bottle (he uses it like a binkie).
5. Turn out the lights.
6. Cuddle for a couple of minutes.
7. Put him in the crib.
8. Not a peep until 6:30 the next morning.
The whole thing takes 20 minutes.
James (4 1/2) goes to bed like this:
1. Bedtime alarm on my phone plays the "bedtime song" he recognizes.
2. He ignores this.
3. After stalling for at least 30 minutes, sometimes much longer, we herd him into his room.
4. Negotiation and cajoling to get him to take his clothes off.
5. More negotiation and cajoling to get him to put his PJs on.
6. Read two books, sitting in my lap in the rocking chair with Tom sitting nearby on the floor.
7. Negotiation and cajoling to get him to brush his teeth. (This sometimes turns into threats and tears. He knows lights-out is near and is starting to run out of options and get desperate.)
8. Tom reads a chapter of the children's Bible with James on his lap on the floor and me sitting nearby in the rocking chair. (This positioning is mandatory, per James.)
9. Prayers. Even prayers sometimes require negotiation, cajoling, and threats.
10. One more book on my lap.
11. Ok, two more books on my lap.
12. No, not three more books on my lap.
13. Possibly tears.
14. "James turn out the light or Dada do it?" Under the best circumstances, James does it.
15. Lights out. James back on my lap.
16. Singing "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins.
17. He's big and wiggly and finally gets uncomfortable on my lap and puts himself in his bed. I put on his blanket and find his orange, one-eyed cat that he must sleep with.
18. I sing the song a couple more times. Hum it a couple of times. Then declare quiet time.
19. James talks.
20. I declare quiet time a few more times.
21. We sit there in the dark for 5 to 20 minutes. At some point, he falls asleep.
22. I wait another few minutes until he's REALLY asleep. I've learned my lesson.
23. Maybe we don't see him until we have to physically roust him out of bed at 6:30 a.m. Or maybe he'll show up in our bed at 2 a.m.
The whole thing takes somewhere between an hour and all night.
1. PJs and sleep sack on.
2. Give him a milk bottle while reading a chapter of the children's Bible.
3. Say prayers with the whole gang.
4. Brush teeth. Switch to water bottle (he uses it like a binkie).
5. Turn out the lights.
6. Cuddle for a couple of minutes.
7. Put him in the crib.
8. Not a peep until 6:30 the next morning.
The whole thing takes 20 minutes.
James (4 1/2) goes to bed like this:
1. Bedtime alarm on my phone plays the "bedtime song" he recognizes.
2. He ignores this.
3. After stalling for at least 30 minutes, sometimes much longer, we herd him into his room.
4. Negotiation and cajoling to get him to take his clothes off.
5. More negotiation and cajoling to get him to put his PJs on.
6. Read two books, sitting in my lap in the rocking chair with Tom sitting nearby on the floor.
7. Negotiation and cajoling to get him to brush his teeth. (This sometimes turns into threats and tears. He knows lights-out is near and is starting to run out of options and get desperate.)
8. Tom reads a chapter of the children's Bible with James on his lap on the floor and me sitting nearby in the rocking chair. (This positioning is mandatory, per James.)
9. Prayers. Even prayers sometimes require negotiation, cajoling, and threats.
10. One more book on my lap.
11. Ok, two more books on my lap.
12. No, not three more books on my lap.
13. Possibly tears.
14. "James turn out the light or Dada do it?" Under the best circumstances, James does it.
15. Lights out. James back on my lap.
16. Singing "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins.
17. He's big and wiggly and finally gets uncomfortable on my lap and puts himself in his bed. I put on his blanket and find his orange, one-eyed cat that he must sleep with.
18. I sing the song a couple more times. Hum it a couple of times. Then declare quiet time.
19. James talks.
20. I declare quiet time a few more times.
21. We sit there in the dark for 5 to 20 minutes. At some point, he falls asleep.
22. I wait another few minutes until he's REALLY asleep. I've learned my lesson.
23. Maybe we don't see him until we have to physically roust him out of bed at 6:30 a.m. Or maybe he'll show up in our bed at 2 a.m.
The whole thing takes somewhere between an hour and all night.
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