I am losing the bedtime battle My new goal is to survive bedtime sane I no longer watch the clock to make sure I don't miss it by 10 minutes, but I watch her face and look for any sign at all that she is wearing out. A yawn, a few extra blinks, anything, then I pounce!
So here is what I have learned 1) I will never win 2) If it is a school day I only need 20 minutes to get her fed and out the door 3) Once I drop her off she is her teachers problem. This is easier when I do not particularily love her teacher, I know they will have a rough day 4) If I am tired enough I really can go to sleep first! 5) Bedtime at 7pm and bedtime at 9pm both get her to sleep by 9:30, but one leaves me more time to not be yelled at 6) Even if I do not yell, she will 7) I can drink coffee at my bedtime and still sleep, but I am less grumpy about her not sleeping
Usually, a long bedtime means they need to go to bed earlier because they need more sleep. It has always always worked for me before. Now it doesn't, and I am both sad and haopy about it. Sure she was happier sleeping 12 hours, but if she stays up later I gain a couple hours in my day and extra time with her. It does mean that I now go to bed 10 minutes after she is asleep so I had to rearrange what I was doing after bedtime.
I myself have been feeling a lot of changes latel, where I am not feeling as worried when she is up later, I am not going to sleep myself to hide, but I do go to bed early because my body needs it.
So much has changed lately! I am not even sure that I am writing from the same place that used too, even just two months ago, but this is all part of being a mom. I grow as she grows. We have too.