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[mereilin]

I am looking forward to a time when "bedtime" at our house does not last from the moment dinner ends (we generally eat between 5:30 and 6:30) until I'm so bleary that there's no chance of doing anything productive before falling into bed myself.

Those kids fight every step of the way to the point where the squabbling has actually become part of the evening routine. Tonight it ended with both of the kids informing me tearfully -- separately -- that they felt lonely and needed me to sleep with them. Danny added that he couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to be dead, which of course bumped his request to the top of the list. Sadie fought sleep valiantly until at last Daddy came to lie down with her until her eyes finally closed.

At 10:30.

The disgusting thing is I had them on a snowy hillside in the sunshine for about two hours earlier today, sledding on the big hill by the Catholic cemetery. I thought they'd crash out early. Trouble is there seems to be a very small window. If we miss it, they crank into Overtired, which keeps them up for hours.

At least tomorrow is Sunday and they can sleep in. And for a change, so can I.

Comments

[luvszoe.livejournal.com]

Aww....

Yeah, I hear you on the "those kids fight every step of the way

My two decide all of a sudden it's time to straighten up their rooms....one evening Lexie was styling her hair..WTF?

And it's not only bedtime....everything is a battle...down to who holds the remote or which DVD we're going to watch...

What conversation did you have with Danny? I assume it was being so close to the cemetary while sledding that made him think about death?

[kaesiah.livejournal.com]

Maybe you need SuperNanny? Just kidding. Have you ever watched her show? I have learned some really great techniques from her. Kaelyb likes to sleep downstairs (when Asiah is not here on weekends, it is ok), and I constantly battle him.

It went from Asiah sleeping with him to his dad laying down with him..until, daddy passed out and then he was still awake and climbed into our bed.


Maybe try to have a routine that will fit your family's schedule.
When I am not working at the studio in the evenings...here is my schedule...

After dinner, Usually the same time as yours... get them involved in helping clean up from the meal..even if they are making a mess, let them do it. I tried very hard not to complain when Kaelyb would insist on playing in the dishwater.

We then go up to his room and put away his toys, straiten up his books and get his jammies ready for bedtime. He knows it is coming soon.

After doing that, how about game/story/short cartoon time?
Play, read, or watch a short cartoon for 30 minutes.

About 8pm it is bath time. Make it a fun time for them. I let Kaelyb play for about 10 minutes before I start having him wash himself. He is in there no longer than 30 minutes (given that he is 6.. I leave him alone while I do some light house cleaning in the livingroom and diningroom.

After bath, he goes up and gets his jammies on. We get his clothes out for school too.

Snack time. This is usually from 8:30-9. At 9pm, he is done with his snack.. whether he is or not. He then gets a drink of milk, then goes and brushes his teeth, washes his face and hands and then does his rounds of kisses.

9:15. He is in bed and I (or Asiah) reads him a story. 9:30 lights out.(he sleeps until 7am.. he has plenty of rest).

We do this EVERY NIGHT that I am home. If I am at the studio.. when I come home we do a quick clean up, take a bath, then it goes from there.. we skip game/reading time.

I hope this helps.. of course, you adjust it to your bedtime for the kids.

[mereilin.livejournal.com]

It might have been that we're reading the Chronicles of Narnia. Or maybe he saw something on the evening news. I have no idea, but it breaks my heart.

I sure wish my kids would spontaneously decide to straighten up their rooms. It's like an obstacle course putting them to bed at night!

[mereilin.livejournal.com]

Ah, the supernanny. It's so easy to be firm with kids when they're not wearing you down 24/7!

Here's our routine:
1. finish supper
2. clean up
3. baths
4. into the big bed for snuggle time and a chapter from the big book
5. brush teeth
6. into bed

Here's what really happens:
1. dawdle over dinner for an hour and a half with both kids up and down like jumping beans
2. wait for another half hour while Danny locks himself into the bathroom to take a dump (but what he's actually doing in there is a mystery)
3. find something to do while waiting and get distracted
4. remember it's bath time, deal with the kids arguing over who has to take the first bath
5. get one kid clean
6. mop the water off the bathroom floor and start hollering at the second that it's time to get in the tub
7. get the other kid clean
8. mop more water off the bathroom floor
9. discover Sadie stark naked in her room playing with toys
10. fight with Sadie over what pajamas she's going to wear and whether or not she actually wants help getting into them
11. discover Danny on his floor in nothing but a towel reading something
12. Announce that it's snuggle time.
13. repeat the announcement at least twice alternating with threats that snuggle time will be canceled
14. read a chapter while the kids play with whatever they insisted on bringing to snuggle time and spreading out all over the bed
15. announce end of snuggle time amid howls of protests
16. listen to kids fighting over who has to brush first and who gets "extra snuggle time"
17. drag kids physically out of room
18. deal with floods of tears and slamming doors
19. tuck kids in
20. rub Danny's back
21. lie down with Sadie until I pass out she falls asleep

As you can see, we have excellent intentions but there are still a few bugs to work out. It would be pretty much the same with any routine we tried because frankly I suck at routine and also my kids are EXPERTS at keeping themselves awake.

It takes me about ten minutes to decide I'm tired and fall into bed. An hour of bath and stories really ought to be sufficient, and I can't wait until they agree with me. :)