Preschool Pointers - 33: Make Them Sleep on Your Schedule

Problem:

For a long time I've been an avid supporter of 'the baby goes to bed when it's good for us.' For years now, that's been 9, 10, 11 o'clock at night. It shocks most of my friends when they're reminded of it because what kind of kid goes to bed at that time? Well, we're a "late family" I like to say. My husband works from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. so we're usually not even eating dinner until 9. Then the girls get dessert. Then they mess around for a billion years while I try to get them ready for bed and poof! 10:30.

Sadly, this is no longer working. Since nap has mostly evaporated, I end up with jerkfaces for the last three hours of the evening as they're so exhausted they're just about to die of it. Then in the mornings, they don't even want to get up. They're having breakfast right now. It is 11:15 a.m.

It's not going to work anymore. I need some time at night, and they're going to need to be at school at 7:45 a.m. next year. Meaning they'll have to be up at 6:45 a.m. Which is, like, five hours earlier than what we do now.

Solution:

I have to follow my own rules now. Remember the original statement was 'the baby goes to bed when it's good for us.' Well, now a good time is 8 p.m. Not 11.

So, I'll scale it back. We'll get back to 10. Then 9:30. Then 9. Then 8:30. Throughout the summer. And I've got to keep up on the morning side, too. I have to admit, when it's nice and quiet in the morning, the last thing I want to do is go in there and rouse the troops. Particularly because they are cranky as teenagers in morning. But, it must be done. Today I did it by singing a showtune for them. That seemed to work. I'm sure it will lose its novelty eventually, but until then, well, use what you've got.

I've got a four-month-long project in front of me. Here's hoping I can do it!