This may sound a little redundant following the last post, but I just came across this article - "11 Ways to Do Less and Feel Great About It" by Carol Bryant. (Those of you who know me well will quickly recognize why the title caught my attention and lured me in!) I will definitely be making myself one of those Lists to post in the kitchen cupboard or on the bathroom mirror (my house is littered with Lists. I have a little addiction.) Anyway, read it in your 30 hours of "leisure time". Favorite line? "Two-year-olds can be masters at knowing just when to spill the grape juice."
Lately I am having a hard time with Kate and bedtime. I know, this is the umpteenth time I've complained about it, but even the original "sleeping rules" (1 year ago!) and the flower thing (If I blogged about this, I can't find it. Anie explains it here) seem to be wearing out and Kate is finding ways to thwart them. Last night she got out of bed at 10:00 (!!!) complaining of a tummy-ache. Ya think? I happen to know that sleep-deprived children always have tummy-aches. I ignored all her whining and screaming and went to bed. Travis gave up and slept on the couch with her until 2:00 a.m. She then woke up when he left at 6 a.m. calling, "Mommy, I woke up!!!" and I ignored her until she fell asleep again. WHEW what a mess! (At least I wasn't the one losing sleep over it! I was just done.) When she woke up this morning she came and told me that her eye kept "blinking really fast" - so I watched it, and it was twitching! You know, like your tiny eye muscles do when you're REALLY REALLY SLEEP DEPRIVED? Oh dear.
Anyway, I have an intervention planned, so stay tuned for how it goes. It might have to do with the ugliness of the flowers I made her. My friend Lauren made really cute ones and then I felt sheepish because mine are made of - you guessed it - construction paper. OR... it might have to do with needing a better bribe... like a better sticker chart or a big goal like Anie's bike idea! Oh and I would post pictures but I really don't like the new camera. It and I are at an impasse, and something's gotta give. Either I will send the washing-machine-victim one in for repair, or else... yeah probably just that.
3 years ago
4 sweet nothings:
OH MAN!!! HOW are you functioning?!? Or the better question- how is KATE functioning on so little sleep?! And does Brooklyn just sleep through it all?? I'm so glad you get to experience all these fun things before me- then I can just copy what you do!! :) I'm excited to hear what you have planned! Ya, right now I'm all about bribery!! Terrible I know- but if it's working.....
Ah, Krista... I'm glad we're in this together. I didn't mean to make you feel sheepish, silly! In fact, at first we were wondering if we made TOO big a deal about her cute flowers... because she would have an absolute FIT if we took one away. The first few times we tried to take one, we gave in and gave it back, with a warning not to make us do it again. Well then I decided we were the softest parents known to man. We weren't spanking or yelling, we were taking a dumb flower!!! So the next time I decided to follow through no matter the cost--cuz a kids gotta know there are consequences, right? Even with all this drama, I have to say it has helped so much. We have never made it to Mommy sleeping with Elmo, and I hope we don't have to!
I'm glad for the reminder of the toddler section in that book. I had forgotten to look there. Better get it back from my sister. :)
I read a book, Happy Sleep, Healthy Child when my boys were still cooking. It has seriously helped SO much! A lot of the things they say in there clicked when they were newborns and worked with V when she was having these issues too. They have a whole toddler section in it...you should check it out from the library.
Basically what it says is that there are boundries to sleep and that is final. No bribes, no threats, just this is what it is. When she gets up, don't talk to her and put her right back into bed, even if it means you are doing it 20 times over. (Although I did love the flower idea!) There will be lots of screaming at first I think but she will get it eventually. :)
Good luck!
As I was reading your post, I'm thinking--wow, she's WAAAAAY nicer than I would be. I agree with Cat... Safire completely :o) The boundary thing has got to be there and stuck to. I know my boys live with a little bit of fear, but I have no problem with that! We can chat more about it later :o)
And PS: Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child is really the best sleep book out there, IMO.
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