Tess has been having major issues lately with going to bed. As in kicking and screaming and generally freaking out. That girl does NOT want to sleep! Oh, she most definitely needs the sleep, but she doesn't want to miss out on a single thing. If anyone else is awake, Tess thinks she needs to be as well.
Too bad, Tess.
I'm still bigger, stronger, and smarter than you, so a nap and a reasonable bedtime you shall have!
Today, after wrestling her out a dirty diaper and into a clean one, I thought naptime might be a bit smoother if we read a few books first. This has worked about 50% of the time in the past.
Tess would not sit on my lap, so I just sat on the floor and started reading. With a loud "NOOOOOOOO!" she would swoop down, steal the book, and throw it across the room.
The theatrics entertained me to no end.
But after the third time I decided it was time for a different tactic. Because I'm a mean, mean mom who likes to push the buttons of her toddlers.
Me: Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Tess.
Tess: NOOOOOOO!
Me: Tess didn't like to take naps. She didn't want to take a nap even though she was really, really sleepy. Whenever her mommy said "It's time for a nap!" Tess would yell... (*pause*)
Tess: NOOOOOOO!
(At this point she was on the floor, wrapping herself in the curtains.)
Me: Tessie didn't like to go to bed at night, either. Every time her daddy said "It's time for night-night!" Tess would yell... (*pause*)
Tess (Totally on cue. The girl knew what she was doing.): NOOOOOOO!
Me: One day Tess's mom said "Maybe we should go to the park. But Tessie is too tired to go to the park, so we can't go. Too bad she didn't take a nap." Tessie asked Mommy if they could go to the park. Mommy said... (*pause*)
Tess (whispering): Yessssss...
Me: NOOOOOOO!
Tess (sitting up indignantly): NOOO! No like story. No Mommy. No bed! NO STORY!!
At which point it was time for bed.
1 comment:
If I could pay someone to put Millie to bed (scratch that: someone to keep Millie in bed), I so would. I don't know if the budget will ever be big enough.
Millie frequently asks for stories by starting, "Once upon a time there was a little girl named Millie..." and she wants me to fill in the blank. Seems she hasn't done much in her two short years to keep things very exciting from night-to-night. That, or my memory stinks.
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