DH and I had a good, long talk last night about AJ. He had threatened a whiny meltdown RIGHT before he went to sleep, and MAN, are we weary from his fits.
We realized by talking about it that, DUHHHH, in daycare "summer camp," the kids don't get the 2-hour nap that they got all during Pre-K. I am such an idiot. They get "quiet time" with a movie, but OUR KID? Will do anything to stay awake during a movie. Perhaps THIS is the reason for his recent behavior. He's TIRED. (This, and the fact that his baby sister is no longer a little lump of sweetness, and is demanding extra attention and learning to throw her OWN fits, and he feels the need to compete.)
---> Mom guilt. I let him sleep an extra 10 minutes this morning.
It's tough because DH and I have always kept early-morning work schedules. When we commuted long distances, it was simply to get there on-time. Then it just became habit, and now I like being able to leave the office in the 4:00 p.m. hour. But this little revelation makes me want to reconsider our routine. Of course, Kindergarten begins at 8:00 sharp, and if he were taking the bus, it comes around at 10 minutes to seven in our neighborhood. (Get this -- the young kids' bus comes before dawn, but the middle school bus doesn't come until 8:30 or 9:00. Who planned that? Someone without little kids, that's who.) What I'm saying is, he's getting older now and the option to sleep a little later won't exist in a few weeks, anyway.
DH and I concluded, therefore, that we need to make 8:00 BEDTIME a priority. Since it's summer we've been pretty slack, letting him go 'til 8:30 or 8:45. But no more.
Did I say "idiot" already? ----> little bit of Mom guilt. Sigh.
6 comments:
Same here! Right now M isn't getting enough sleep, leading to breakdowns in the evenings. I MUST do better with bedtime.
BAH. The sleep. It is a forever issue, isn't it? The last two nights have been so frustrating in our house... we're going to have to readjust. Again. BAH.
(In other words, I hear you. And I commisserate.)
I wish my son's tantrums were as easily justifiable/fixable.
I came here today to laugh at phrases like "little lump of sweetness." Thanks for that!
We started the "back to school bedtime" routine at our house this week. Some nights/mornings are easier than others!
Oh man, the sleep. If my son doesn't get the sleep boy is he cranky. Yikes. Good plan though, the earlier the better.
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