As our baby girl approaches the four year old mark (She's not that close. She has four months to go.) she's become the most 'sleep resistant' that we've seen yet. In months previous we'd had issues of getting to bed on time and therefore enacted 'calming down procedures' such as the traditional warm bath and quiet pre-bedtime crafts or games, but ever since her solo bathroom potty skills have matured into full bloom, keeping her in bed has been quite a different task. Our child has always been a high energy one. She is only quiet and still when she's asleep. At any other time she is rarely quiet or still and they never accompany each other for more than say, a minute or two, and even this is rare. After being put to bed these days, she is up at least 5 to 8 times afterwards until she has wound down enough to let the rest of her concerns wait until the following day. The excuses have a wide range of creativity from legitimate concerns of a bodily nature--needing to go to the potty--to being frustrated that she's lost her sunglasses that she was wearing (don't ask) or that her anklet has somehow gotten snagged on her blanket to not having the 'right' stuffed animal for that particular night of the week. It's funny....in a way, yet enervating in another. Also, she's such an earnest child (most of the time) that you have to take her concerns seriously, yet be firm about what is required of her---to-get-in-bed-and-to-go-to-sleep--yet not overly firm, which is easy to do in these patience stretching situations. Let's see....we've fed you, played with you, bathed you, combed you, clothed you, read to you, rocked you, sang to you, cradled you, tucked you in, and answered all of your questions to the best of our ability to the farthest reaches of our intellect that God gave us. What? You mean there's more? What do you need? Tell me my darling daughter....Hehe. She get's kudos for creativity, I'll give her that!
This behavior has put her 'finally to sleep' time as late as 11 or 11:30 at night. This is also given that we initially put her to bed somewhere in the vicinity of 8-9pm. Thankfully though, once to sleep she's not the kind of kid At This Stage (I've learned to say that now. "Never say Never.") to get up repeatedly once she's asleep. There is the occasional potty trip, but that's not even a nightly occurrence. We are now wise to the new 'night time antics' and have therefore deployed the new strict hall pass protocol. So far, so good. If she comes out once all her real needs have been met, then the sentry (Mommy or Daddy) rises and puts her wordlessly back to bed. To be honest, it's a kind of therapy for all of us with benefits for everyone. No child Or parent is 'left behind'.
This behavior has put her 'finally to sleep' time as late as 11 or 11:30 at night. This is also given that we initially put her to bed somewhere in the vicinity of 8-9pm. Thankfully though, once to sleep she's not the kind of kid At This Stage (I've learned to say that now. "Never say Never.") to get up repeatedly once she's asleep. There is the occasional potty trip, but that's not even a nightly occurrence. We are now wise to the new 'night time antics' and have therefore deployed the new strict hall pass protocol. So far, so good. If she comes out once all her real needs have been met, then the sentry (Mommy or Daddy) rises and puts her wordlessly back to bed. To be honest, it's a kind of therapy for all of us with benefits for everyone. No child Or parent is 'left behind'.