Last night proved to be a lot smoother than the night before. Was it due to Gabe's obvious exhaustion from getting to bet at 10:30 the night before or because the new system jives with him a little better? Who knows.
I went into the evening with a Big PlanTM. The old evening routine involved giving Gabe his asthma treatment (he sits SOOOO nicely and holds the nebulizer mask himself) while watching a favorite video, transitioning to the bottle (you have to rinse the mouth after treatment, so a drink is non-negotiable), and then turning off the video after about 15 minutes (saying "night-night" to the creature du jour), and then letting him fall asleep on the couch in a dim room. He would get carted off to bed once he was really out for the night.
Lately the plan has been foiled by the fact that even when the video is off and the room is dim, when the bottle is done, instead of handing it to me ("here, mommy") and rolling over with eyes shut, he hands it to me and jumps off the couch to go and play. I was miffed because the plan had given us a step-down from me having to hold him for sleep.
So, the Big PlanTM(as dictated in my head) was to give him his treatment in the company of a favorite video, take him and the bottle upstairs to his room where drinking would be accompanied by two books, and then placing him in his bed and letting him drift off alone.
See- you are laughing at me. Why did no one tell me this perfect plan would not work in one night? Hmmm? What up with the big secret?
Let's now rename the Big PlanTM as the GoalTM.
Step one in reaching the GoalTM went like this:
Treatment with video (smooth)
Bottle with video for 10 mins (concession granted for tired mommy)
Upstairs for two books (smooth)
Two books becomes three (concession made)
Three books is firm limit (protest from Gabe)
Ask Gabe to get into bed and lie down (smooth)
Mommy leaves room (screaming commences)
Mommy returns and promises to sit in chair (Gabe lies down again)
Gabe jumps up from bed and heads for bookcase (sigh)
Mommy holds firm on no more books (screaming and tantrum on floor)
Mommy picks up Gabe and starts rocking (screaming continues)
Mommy explains calmly that it is either chair or bed- no books (screaming continues)
Rocking continues for 10 minutes (screaming starts to die down)
Gabe finally falls asleep (around 8:30)
Mommy celebrates by doing a load of laundry.
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2 comments:
Poor mommy. Hang in there. It'll probably take a while to adjust to the new routine. In the end, I think you'll both be much happier with the change in routine--just give it time!
Well, it's a good step. At least it wasn't two hours later. But you may be right that it's only the result of the adventure the night before. Hang in there!
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