Bedtime Ease, Where Art Thou?

Bedtime has always been easy around here. I've attributed it to Babywise, and great examples of consistency and discipline from my sisters-in-law.

We've never (for an extended period of time) coddled, sung to, rocked, begged, bottled or "attachment parented" our kids at bedtime. It doesn't seem to affect their love for us or bond to us in any way...

It's something we've been passionate about. I love that Shaun has worked hard to protect the 8-11 p.m. hours for our marriage. We need that time so we can make one another absolute first priority. It preserves and refreshes our marriage. During that time, there is uninterrupted conversation, tv watching, foot rubbing, reading, pottying (I love to potty in peace at least once a day), reading...you fill in the blank. ;)

There are some exceptions though.....sometimes little late night baby rockin' and singin' does this momma good.

Lately, however, our kids loathe bedtime.

Except for Bentley. She waves and kisses us out of her room with a smile on her face...

Hutch has had a bout with sin and temper and boyish-ness for the past 6 months or so-so now the rail is back on his crib and he cries EVERY night. Most nights there are a couple of rounds of discipline needed also.

In the course of all the yelping-Bentley usually becomes awakened. So she's crying and Hutch is crying while we put Reagan to bed, pray, read to her, kiss her, etc...fifty times...then fifty more...and fifty more...you get the picture.

Usually by the time they all settle down, we've been downstairs about 10 minutes, not even long enough to make a cup of coffee and sit down on the couch.

Then just as Shaun is about to commence rubbing my feet...(I know, he's a good husband)...

Reagan will show up in the den and say, (in the most dramatic way possible) "I had two terrible dreams and they woke me up and now I can't sleep".

Needless to say, we are pretty convinced its all a hoax.

Per the advice of my sister-in-law Gina, (she probably didn't think I was going to actually do this) we made up some "Bad Dream Medicine".

It's a concoction of soy sauce, yogurt, hot barbecue sauce, garlic, etc...I'm not sure what all Shaun put in it.

So we gave her this "medicine" last night "just in case" so she wouldn't have bad dreams. We told her, "Just come downstairs after you have a dream so we can give you a bigger spoon of it."

Her story today-

"I had bad dreams, mommy, it's just, it's just... (long pause)...they aren't bad enough for me to need that medicine. I did wake up after that dream though, but I went right back to sleep without having to come down and get more medicine! Isn't that great?! The medicine is working! Praise the Lord!"

So-it may be wrong-but we are on our way to a more peaceful bedtime routine!

Maybe a Nast-a-Nast concoction is in Hutch's near future.









I even saved the "medicine" and she sees it every time she opens the fridge today.

Muah ha ha ha.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone