Wait, Mommy!

Bedtime has always been our Achilles' heel around here, no doubt about it. We've tried numerous strategies to get our kids to bed and to sleep; and the truth is, winding down is hard to do. With all due respect to Dr. William Sears and Elizabeth Pantley, WHERE ARE YOU NOW?!

Once again Ian is at work for day one of a two day stint in night-time librarianship, and I am trying in vain to put both little people to bed. Depending upon a number of factors (how tired they are, how much physical activity we've had during the day, how high-strung they've been feeling lately, how sick they may feel, or even totally external factors like what activities are planned for later in the week or what we've recently enjoyed-- just to name a few) this can go anywhere from very smoothly to very poorly. Tonight happens to be a "very poorly" night.

It is now an hour since their bedtime, and even longer than that since I first began the night time routine. Just now I finally had to excuse myself to give them a chance to howl while I struggle to maintain my own sanity elsewhere for a couple of minutes. It is very difficult to remain calm and respectful when things go this wrong for this long, especially when I myself feel rather exhausted.

Even as I climbed down the stairs, Nora was plaintively wailing, "Wait, Mommy!" which would've been rather charming a couple hours ago, or in any other context. I am very grateful for the blog to give me something solid to capture my attention as both girls expend some (loud) energy upstairs.

(Half an hour later)

Ahhhhh. The sound of silence. I just had to get both of them to stop alternately needing me long enough to leave the room to let them work through their extinction burst quickly and loudly together so they could peter out. Thank goodness Ian doesn't work another night shift for at least... a couple hours.