Love & Logic bedtime, prequel and Morning 1

Last night's post was done from my Kindle Fire, which I discovered is a terrible way to do a blog post! Very difficult to type and edit. Here's the short version backstory: KT is a terrible go-to-sleeper. I suspect she has her Daddy's and Gammy's night owl genes, which is fine for adulthood, but not so great for childhood, particularly when you have two parents who need to be out of the house by 7:00 am. Not to mention she has school to attend -- real-live, actual Kindergarten school -- starting in 5 weeks. For years I've done the typical bath, brush teeth, book with her, then stayed in her room while she falls asleep. Typically our goal is to have her in bed by 8:30. And typically I don't leave her room -- "But Mommy, I don't know HOW to fall asleep! Whine, whine, help me, I CAN'T..." -- until 9:30. Occasionally, we've Had It Out. That happened on Sunday night, after she'd been away from me for a full week. Nice welcome home, Mom -- fighting at bedtime. She refused to DO WHAT I SAID, and I KEPT STUBBORNLY TRYING TO CONTROL HER... then it escalated and I cried, and she cried. I apologized. She saw I was crying and apologized, too, and we had a hard, tearful hug. I promised I would try to be better and she did too, nodding and sniffling. Oh, we had a moment there. I decided to be honest with her, since with any relationship, honesty is the best policy. I told her I didn't know what to do about bedtime. Poor us. She was finally sleepy so I retreated to my room and got busy saying Hail Marys, because prayer's all I had left. I said a lot of Hail Marys. In the stress of that episode I became convinced that I just don't know how to parent this particular child. And then, in el-e-e fashion, I went back to a book. Drs. Fay and Cline of the Love & Logic Institute suggest a sure-fire way to fix kids' bedtime: GIVE UP CONTROL. Make the natural consequences the kid's consequences. Like so: Let the child know that after 8:30 (or whatever time you decide) is "Mommy and Daddy's free time," and that the only rule is the kid must stay in her room. The parent should give the kid a lot of choices about whether she wants the light on or off -- the fan on or off -- soft music on or off? -- want to read in your bed or play on the floor? -- and no other rules, other than "stay in your room." As I honestly told KT that we were going to try it, she got very excited. Could she stay up all night? Sure, I said, but just know that we wake up at 6:00 am, and we leave the house at 7:00. If you're tired tomorrow, I told her, that's going to be your problem. She reasoned out that she does have naptime at daycare, so she could catch up then (pretty smart), and I reiterated that the doctors who wrote this book say kids need about 9 or 10 hours of sleep. (I had told her I read a book and found a great solution to our bedtime problem. Why not? Honesty again -- I figure it's worth a shot.) So, we agreed to give it a try. She asked if she could have her sleeping bag and I said sure. She told me she loved to comb her doll's hair and that's what she was going to do. I gave her a hug and told her, "Okay, it's up to you. Good night!" And I left. (Hail, Mary, please let this work.) She came out a couple of times but went straight back in when I gently reminded her of the rule. It's a work in progress. I assume if there is a lot more coming-out-of-the-room, I will say, "Oh, it's too bad you forgot the rule. We'll have to turn the lights off and try this again tomorrow night." I found her snoring away on the floor, lamp still on, when I went to bed at 10:30. * * * * This morning she wasn't exactly EASY to wake, but she never is. Like I said, she went to sleep around the same time she normally does. We'll see if she's tired in the awful 5:00-6:00 pm hour today. That'll likely be the true test. But I'm hopeful. (DH is skeptical, which I fully understand. I was skeptical too and really hesitant to try this, but also: at my bedtime wits' end.)