Augh, it wasn't until herself was about 3 1/2 that we got through most nights without some kind of melodrama, and it peaked when she was about 2-3 (though we relapsed when the baby came home). The first year we were in this house she was truly awful -- that was when we ended up putting a lock on the outside of her door, because she would get up and wander the house while we slept (and trashed the kitchen and her bedroom, one night. Milk everywhere.) That finally stopped the fighting about bedtime.
With the baby, I've been putting him down in his own room most nights...sometimes he pops up right away, sometimes he stays down until midnight or so. I'm hoping he'll be easier to transition over since I started him on his own younger, but truly, if he starts doing the kind of stuff she did, I'll go to the "it's bedtime, the door is closed, you can come out if you need to pee but not unless" routine MUCH faster.
Aiyiyi! I'm really hoping this is short-lived with Otto... it's starting to drive me nuts already. If he keeps it up for a while I don't know what I'm going to do (well, I'll deal with it, since that's what you do, but ugh).
Well, truly, although I felt hideously guilty about it, the "door's closed, we're done for tonight" regime has worked out pretty well. She's still allowed to read as late as she wants, but after about 8:30, her butt had better be in bed. It's much easier not to have to fight about it.
I felt pretty bad closing the door on him last night, but honestly, I was going to start yelling at him. Which is worse? He only fussed for a few seconds, and then did his thing and went to sleep.
You know, I felt awful about it for months ("I've betrayed all my attachment-parenting ideals!") but really, it was so much better for our relationship for me to be firm about it than for her and I to spend a couple of hours each night fighting....
Hazaaah. That's what we did, too, but in our house it was like, "Once I pop open my well-deserved beer, your butt better stay in bed." We gave them big piles of books and they were allowed to read until they passed out
( ... )
With the baby, I've been putting him down in his own room most nights...sometimes he pops up right away, sometimes he stays down until midnight or so. I'm hoping he'll be easier to transition over since I started him on his own younger, but truly, if he starts doing the kind of stuff she did, I'll go to the "it's bedtime, the door is closed, you can come out if you need to pee but not unless" routine MUCH faster.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment