Isabel’s bedtime is either a truly masterful display of stalling prowess or a very OCD way to prep for 10-12 hours of sleep. Who knows which? Recently, we’ve added another step to it which makes bedtime last longer but it gives me immense joy each night.
If there was a bath this night, the ritual starts with watching Daniel Tiger, Tumble Leaf, or Moana while Dad brushes and dries her hair (~15-25 minutes)
The bedtime ritual includes two books – one that Isabel picks out and one that daddy/dad picks out. Thankfully, she will still let us veto books she picks if they are too long. Sometimes this part of the ritual occurs in her bed, but other times it occurs downstairs or in daddy and dad’s bed. (~10-15 minutes depending on the books and how much we want to play up the book)
After book we need to give hugs to everyone (~2 minutes), brush our teeth (~1-2 minutes), turn on both sound machines (~1 minute), “go around” which means she opens each door and walks through Connor’s room and the bathroom into her room (~1 minute), change into pajamas (~1-5 minutes), put on lotion because she has delicate skin (~2 minutes), go potty for the last time until the morning (sometimes we have to ‘wait for the poop’, ~2-10 minutes), and get some water (~1 minute). Oh yeah…the closet and hallway doors have to be closed and the bathroom door is just a bit open. The lights are off except her night light. Yikes…lots of steps…don’t miss any! Pressure is on for the mental check list.
Then the final steps used to be holding her and ‘snuggling’ then putting her down on the bed, tucking in her and her chosen stuffed animals for the night (the sheets, covers, and 3 blankets), and giving her anywhere from 1 to 10 hugs & kisses.
But now…we’ve changed up the last step and it’s amazing!! We lay in bed side-by-side and “pretend”. And we tell each other what we are pretending or imagining. Then after a few rounds of pretending we will snuggle. I will put my arm over her and she will put her arm over Peter Penguin. Then after a few minutes I give her a kiss and its bedtime.
When we started this new game, Isabel would ‘pretend’ she saw a light or a fan, which meant she mistook ‘seeing’ for ‘pretending’ and was missing the point of the game.
Now she is doing better, but often starts with a bird. As we’ve progressed the game, the color of the bird has changed and what it’s doing has started to change. Yesterday, the red bird was holding a purse with its feet and playing with an elephant.
Often Isabel will correct what I’m “pretending” or steal it for her own.
Dad: I see a tiger playing the piano.
Isabel: No, I see a tiger.
Dad: I see one too! Mine is playing the piano.
Isabel: No, Dad. I see a Tiger, not you.
Dad: Okay Isabel, what is your tiger doing?
Isabel: Playing the piano.
Dad: (Sigh) Okay. I see a boat…
This is the kind of game that warms my heart and helps Isabel grow her brain. Win-win. I love it! Plus, it’s some 1-on-1 Dad-Isabel time that has been in short supply since Connor has been born.
