Back in Control!

I'm happy to report that after months, possibly more than a year, we are now back in control of bedtimes in our house. Several weeks ago we introduced a "sticker chart" as I mentioned here.  Well it's doing the trick! 

We successfully solved the problem of daily potty accidents at school, so we moved on to the bedtime routine.  Around the time Drew turned two, we discovered he had a problem with sleeping in his crib.  He preferred our bed.  Part of that is because he kept getting sick right before his second birthday - and had fevers over 104 consistently, so we had him sleep with us so we could keep an eye on him.  But that created a monster, and we couldn't get him out of our bed and back into his crib.

That's when his doctor's mentioned putting his crib mattress on the floor until he got his big boy bed.  We did that, and voila!  It worked.  Then he turned 2 1/2 and he fell prey to night terrors.  And it wasn't until recently we learned why he was terrified - and I mean terrified of his bedroom at night.  It turns out he had a "purple hand" above his dresser that threatened to "get him".  I guess Drew's version of monsters in the closet/under the bed.

During this time he would fall asleep in our bed, and we would transfer him when it was time for us to sleep.  Often we would have to lay with him for 10 minutes - an hour (often then falling asleep ourselves).  Well this was getting out of control.

So we decided to add - "sleep in own bed" to the sticker chart (as well as Daddy beating up and breaking the fingers of the "purple hand").  He wants his "Old McDonalds" prize so it's worked.  We rarely need to do much more than read a story and tuck him in and say goodnight.  We're back to normal bedtimes - he'd stay awake in our bed watching Sprout on TV - and we get downtime in the evenings again.  Something we really haven't had since he was a baby!  We're back in control again! 

The Clock Experiment

A few weeks ago I got Drew a clock for several purposes.




1.) We can make the bedtime routine (in his bed) easier.

2.) Try to keep Drew in bed until 6AM.

3.) To teach him how to tell time.

Well today reason number two backfired on me in a big way. Shortly after 5AM Drew announced that he was awake.

Being the follow-through parents that we are we told him he cannot get out of bed until 6.

That's when after the wakeup hour hit he announced he needed to be changed (he wears a pull-up to bed). It seems he woke up early because he had to go #2. That'll teach us.

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Why We Really Have Kids...

I'm realizing lately the real reason we have kids.  To do the things we're too lazy to do as adults learn how to be responsible members of society. 

Case in point. 

• If I don't feel like throwing something in the trash - say a napkin -  Drew jumps at the chance to "help Mommy".
• Daddy left his socks on the living room floor?  Drew is happy to put them in the hamper/clothes basket.
• Don't want to put all the dishes away from the dishwasher?  Tell Drew to to it.  He's great with the Tupperware and can get the silverware in the right drawer.  I guess I'll put all the breakable dishes away if I have to.
• Tired of laundry?  Leave the pile on the floor and tell Drew to put it in the wash.
• Didn't hear the phone ring?  Drew will announce over and over again "Moooommmmmm. Phooone!"

I knew there was a purpose to having kids - other than wiping butts, the middle of the night wake-ups, tantrums or listening to endless whining.