A few days ago a friend posted a question on facebook and the gist of it was, any advice on getting a little one to bed? I smugly replied with our routine and then I really started thinking about our routine. Bath, Books, and Bed goes a little more like this:
Ava sits at the kitchen table in her plastic blue booster seat with the tray fastened securely faced AWAY from the table and the rest of the family, intently watching Dora and mindlessly putting bite after bite into her mouth. A nutritionist would probably have a field day with that alone. Cate sits on her bar stool at the table and takes a tiny nibble, jumps up to get a sticker, another tiny nibble, then she needs a different spoon, rearranges a few things on her plate, but doesn't take a bite at all and realizes she needs her polka dot socks, not he striped ones she's wearing and off she goes again. This lasts anywhere from 20-60 mintues and then I announce "It's bath time."
Before I leave to turn the bathroom heater and and hot water on (it takes a good 5 minutes for the water to get luke warm, I exaggerate not), I tell Cate to take her clothes off and please put them in the laundry room. I return several seconds later to a fully dressed Cate and Ava (still in her chair) clamoring, "Get Out, Me!" I take her to the sink to shake off all the crumbs and off we go to the tub. Cate comes tearing behind me, "I want to get out first." "I don't want Ava to have the blue cup." "I want the pink rag." "I want the bathtub Polly (Pocket)." And on and on and on.
Somehow we survive bathtime, getting jammies on, drying hair, and finding just the right pair of house shoes. Then the real feat begins. "Time to read books and go to bed." And the wheels in their little heads begin to turn.
Joe and I divide and conquer. We each take a child and the marathon begins. I'm not exactly sure what all goes on when he has them, but it takes him at least as long as it does me with either kid, so I'll tell my version.
Ava: Ava is on a daily medication for vesicoureteral reflux. I give it to her before bed since she's usually eaten a good meal. Ava thinks it is hysterical to run away from us when we call her to come here. So, after a short chase I give Ava her medicine, another short chase and I brush her teeth (Dora tooth brush of course). I change her diaper (a half naked chase if she gets away this time) and then let her pick out a passy. I take her upstairs to her room and we sit down in the floor to read. (Her room is not furnished as of yet.)
Ava: "I need blank-ey." She goes and pulls one through the slats of her crib and sits back down.
Me: "Okay, let's read."
Ava: "I need my lubb-ey (her lovie)." And she goes to pull it from the pile in the bed as well. Once there's nothing else to get out of her bed, she's ready. We get through the first two books easily. It's that "laasstt one, Ava" that is the problem. She throws a falling out in the floor fit if I don't announce "last one" and just drop her in her crib after three, so I always warn her. She goes to pick the last book. We get about 1/3 of the way through it and she slams it shut and goes to get another one. I think this would go on all night if she had her way. Once we get through that book I turn her humidifier and heater on and the lights off. She says, "Pet you", which means to pick her up and rock her back and forth (Joe really loves that I got that started.). She will not cry if I do this for 10 minutes or so. I drop her into her crib, with a few blankets, her Neigh Baby (a my little pony baby doll that talks and sings), Neigh Baby's bottle and passy, and Ava's pacifier. She doesn't need the passy. She throws it in the floor and sucks her shriveled, calloused thumb, but she has to start out with it none-the-less. She usually plays for a good 30 minutes before knocking off.
Cate: "I'm hungry, I want some apple." Apple, she has discovered, takes longer to eat than anything else. She nibbles it in mouse sized bites for at least 25 minutes. I get her #3 books in a timely manner. She occasionally strolls into the living room with three Dr. Suess books (the longest books in her shelves), only to be sent right back to her room to try again. This is probably too much information, but she holds it until bedtime so she can sit on the commode and stay up later. She has actually said in the mid-afternoon: "I can't poo poo right now, I have to wait until before bed." She rides her scooter around the kitchen, through the dining room, and parks it in the hall in front of the bathroom. After another 10-15 minutes, loud singing and several "No, I'm not ready yet (s)" , she's back on the scooter and off for a few more laps to our bathroom to brush teeth. She has to take her ponytail holder out and fold her glasses and put them on the shelf herself. She has to climb into bed all by herself. She makes Joe get at the foot of her bed on his knees, and says "Ready. Set. Go!" and they both have to dive for the coveted "pillow spot". She requires a story from Joe and a song from me- I don't know how we got started with that, but we have since learned not to do anything new or different, because she always remembers and adds it to the next night's routine. The closet light and night light must be on, her bear pillow, bunny blanket on one side, stuffed Build-A-Bear bunny on the to other, blue blanket "spread out and straight" with Greenie (green blanket) on top and Little Pink (small pink satin blanket) in her hand. She MAY have gotten a little of my OCD. We "Hug, Kiss" and she's ready to settle into a 20-30 minute playtime in the bed as well.
And that is really how we get our girls to bed without fits and wailing and gnashing of teeth, most of the time.
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