Bedtime Escapes
The kids have a strict bedtime: 9:30. When the clock hits 9:30, I want to see them all in bed, with the lights off, as I walk out the door. That never happens, but that’s what I want to see. 9:45 seems to be closer to their bedtime, though they occasionally con me into keeping them awake until 10:00.
I’m in trouble if the kids are staying awake this late at this age. They’re still young enough that they should be easily browbeaten into bed. The clock hits 9:30, I shut the door, and the children fall asleep without a sound while in awe of my parenting authority. Instead, they find ways to sneak around later every night.
They usually kill time by wandering the house. I want everyone in the same room during tooth brushings, pajama dressings, and book readings. Instead, the children discovered that my sleep-deprived attention can’t possibly focus on all three during these critical moments, and they leave the room one at a time in search of pets to chase and unlocked cabinets to open.
Rounding up everyone for tooth brushings is least difficult since they like the baby toothpaste I use. Plus, the bathroom is usually a forbidden cornucopia of toys, many of which are small enough to fit in the mouth. I fight to keep them out of the bathroom most of the day, so an open door is often enough to entice them into the same room. I still occasionally have to round them up, especially Abbie since she’s learned that tasty tooth brushings and hurtful hair brushings happen simultaneously.
Next, I move into their bedroom for pajama dressings. The only one who comes with me is the one I carry. I set out their books for entertainment to keep them in the room while I focus on one child, but too often the one child I carried in the room escapes while I pull the books off the shelf. My usual routine now involves dressing one boy for bed, setting him on the ground, racing him out the door to find his brother, dressing him for bed, racing him out the door to find Abbie, and dressing her for bed.
The solution here is locking the children in their bedroom while I change them, saving me the trouble of finding them and the aggravation of finding what they got into. I can successfully accomplish that trick, but too often I can’t get all three of them in the bedroom until I start book readings. They’re too quick and uncooperative, and I’m too tired by this time. Plus Abbie is good at piling her books in front of the door so I can’t shut it without giving the boys a couple of focus-free minutes to pick up books ideal for toddling out the door.
Once I start reading, everyone tends to come together. Abbie will come running in case her brothers are receiving parental attention without her. The boys will come toddling because I’m sitting on the floor and in perfect position to bite. Occasionally I’ll have to interrupt reading to round up a boy or two, but at least Abbie stays by the books so I can use one hand on each boy if need be to keep them in the room long enough to shut the door.
By this time, it’s usually 9:30. I should pack up the books and put the kids to bed, but I haven’t read to them enough, and I don’t want to raise children with delayed language skills. We read for another few minutes as Abbie throws books in my lap and dictates which pages I will read. Meanwhile the boys roam the room in search of clean clothes to strew and electrical cords to chew.
Eventually, too often around 9:45, I get the books put away, the kids in the cribs, and myself out the door. Maybe it’ll get easier when I can just remind them that they need their teeth brushed, their pajamas adorned, their books read, and their lights off, and trust that they do it. Maybe they’ll just ignore me while continuing to watch television. At least then I’ll know they’re all in the same room.
I’m in trouble if the kids are staying awake this late at this age. They’re still young enough that they should be easily browbeaten into bed. The clock hits 9:30, I shut the door, and the children fall asleep without a sound while in awe of my parenting authority. Instead, they find ways to sneak around later every night.
They usually kill time by wandering the house. I want everyone in the same room during tooth brushings, pajama dressings, and book readings. Instead, the children discovered that my sleep-deprived attention can’t possibly focus on all three during these critical moments, and they leave the room one at a time in search of pets to chase and unlocked cabinets to open.
Rounding up everyone for tooth brushings is least difficult since they like the baby toothpaste I use. Plus, the bathroom is usually a forbidden cornucopia of toys, many of which are small enough to fit in the mouth. I fight to keep them out of the bathroom most of the day, so an open door is often enough to entice them into the same room. I still occasionally have to round them up, especially Abbie since she’s learned that tasty tooth brushings and hurtful hair brushings happen simultaneously.
Next, I move into their bedroom for pajama dressings. The only one who comes with me is the one I carry. I set out their books for entertainment to keep them in the room while I focus on one child, but too often the one child I carried in the room escapes while I pull the books off the shelf. My usual routine now involves dressing one boy for bed, setting him on the ground, racing him out the door to find his brother, dressing him for bed, racing him out the door to find Abbie, and dressing her for bed.
The solution here is locking the children in their bedroom while I change them, saving me the trouble of finding them and the aggravation of finding what they got into. I can successfully accomplish that trick, but too often I can’t get all three of them in the bedroom until I start book readings. They’re too quick and uncooperative, and I’m too tired by this time. Plus Abbie is good at piling her books in front of the door so I can’t shut it without giving the boys a couple of focus-free minutes to pick up books ideal for toddling out the door.
Once I start reading, everyone tends to come together. Abbie will come running in case her brothers are receiving parental attention without her. The boys will come toddling because I’m sitting on the floor and in perfect position to bite. Occasionally I’ll have to interrupt reading to round up a boy or two, but at least Abbie stays by the books so I can use one hand on each boy if need be to keep them in the room long enough to shut the door.
By this time, it’s usually 9:30. I should pack up the books and put the kids to bed, but I haven’t read to them enough, and I don’t want to raise children with delayed language skills. We read for another few minutes as Abbie throws books in my lap and dictates which pages I will read. Meanwhile the boys roam the room in search of clean clothes to strew and electrical cords to chew.
Eventually, too often around 9:45, I get the books put away, the kids in the cribs, and myself out the door. Maybe it’ll get easier when I can just remind them that they need their teeth brushed, their pajamas adorned, their books read, and their lights off, and trust that they do it. Maybe they’ll just ignore me while continuing to watch television. At least then I’ll know they’re all in the same room.
posted by Matt at
11:37 PM
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