Chelsea will not go to sleep lately. It is horrible. She goes for a nap at 1, and usually is in bed by 9. Lately at night, she hasn't been falling asleep until 9:30 or 10. She's then been sleeping in until 9. I'd like to put her to sleep sooner, but our evenings are just so busy!
I just went to check on her and she had gotten her rubber boots from being packed away in the closet, and had laid her books all over her floor, making a trail or a map. She was wearing her boots, walking through her map.
I burst out laughing. Sigh. Bad parenting, I know. But it was so absurd and just not what I was expecting.
I am wondering if this is one of those times when putting them to bed earlier makes them sleep longer/better, etc. We might have to give it a try. We have a bedtime routine. It involves bathing, jammies, night snack, toothbrushing, tucking in, stories, tucking in, proper arrangements of stuffies, tucking tighter, cuddling, songs, tucking tighter and then reading a colour chart.
It's hard though. She has a whole list of excuses that she tries.
- My tummy hurts.
- I can't sleep.
- I have too much energy.
- I hungry. (Only when she says it, she overemphasizes it so it comes out as "I'm hun-ger-eee")
- I need to pee.
- I want water. (We've solved this one by giving her a sippy cup of water to keep in her bed.)
and then the kicker...
- Mom, I just want to cuddle with you.
That one gets me every single time.
Yep. All the excuses you could work though, I'm sure, but the kicker would definitely be the cuddle one.
ReplyDeleteI know someone that put her kids to bed an hour earlier than before, and it ended up being what they needed.
The rubber boots and map would have been hilarious to see!!
Or, horror of horrors, is it time to cut back or eliminate nap time? (Of course, you then end up with a crankier girl, especially later in the day...)
There is no way to eliminate nap time. She still naps for at least 2 hours...
ReplyDeleteI hear ya...I hate those days when Darby thinks he doens't need to nap! C has such an imagination, so creative. And she's so darn cute, how can you say no to more cuddles????? :)
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