I wish I could take credit for the title of
"Unstoppable Bedtime Dodger"
but another mommy in a Facebook support group coined it. But that's what this sleep fighting champion has become - unstoppable.
When I saw her post a few weeks ago I said to myself- that is Cole to a T. Wherever we are, whatever time of day- naptime or bedtime - this little boy dodges it as much as he can. Obviously most toddlers don't like to go to sleep but Cole really hates to go to sleep.
Every night he can be heard saying this as soon as I turn the light off...
"I don't want to go to sleep, Mama. No!"
"No, Mama, no!"
Then after he realizes the light is not being turned back on, he begins his stream of consciousness. This is where he babbles on and on for about a half hour before his eyes close because they are so heavy, and he falls asleep in my arms. Talking to him during this babble is a mistake if I want to go to sleep anytime soon. But sometimes, he says the sweetest things or asks me such innocent questions that I feel I must respond. I allow this interaction to take place mostly on the weekends because I can sleep in a little bit. Also, if you know Cole, it's hard to have deep conversations with him because he's on the move all.the.time. Mostly though (on weeknights), I sit quietly, listen, and eventually I place my snoring two-year-old into his crib. Then I creep out, eat a bowl of cereal, make my lunch, brush my teeth, check Instagram five times, and Facebook seven times, do last minute planning or grading, text Dada or a friend, read my book and go to sleep. Or as in the case of last night: pass out 3 minutes after putting him down.
Kale is exactly like this. We can barely get him to acknowledge our existence these days, never mind (*gasp*) answer a question! Instead he lets it all out at the bedtime, reviewing everything he did/saw/smelled/ate/etc. over the course of the day. There are nights I wish I could just shut out the light, tuck him under the blankets, and let him drift to sleep on his own. But those wishes are greatly outnumbered by how much I love holding my boy as he falls asleep - usually mid-sentence.
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