And The Bedtime Battles Continue

I think I'm doing something wrong.  In fact, I know I'm doing something wrong.  I must be. Bedtime with Maya is a nightmare these days.  Once she's down for bed, the night is fine, but just getting her there has brought me to tears on many a night.

I know that bedtime battles are beyond common with toddlers, so I know that this problem isn't anything special.  And I know that in 20 years (maybe even 10 if I'm lucky), I'll look back on these days and laugh.  I'm not laughing right now however.  I feel lost.  People always say that parenting should come with a manual.....well, have you ever been to Barnes and Noble??  Parenting does, in fact, come with about a bazillion manuals!  I've read several of them and I've tried lots of their ideas, but nighty-night time is just not going as smoothly as I would like.

It all started a year ago when Maya was transferred into the toddler bed, which to my belief, was where we went wrong.  All of the "manuals" said to keep her in her crib until she was 3 or until she asked for a "big girl" bed, but with Jude on the way, we needed the bed, so she got the boot.  She began getting up in the night and not going to bed well.  We ended up finding that locking her bedroom door worked well for keeping her in bed for the night.  The first couple nights,  you'd hear her come and try the handle shortly after bedtime & sometimes she'd cry, but she'd go to bed and stay there.  Now that she's 3, she's gotten a bit, shall we say, spunkier??!  Our rule is "Once you're in bed, you're to stay in bed." We've decided on a zero-tolerance policy of getting up.....& let me just tell you, the girl's been getting her door locked EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!  She doesn't like it, but it's as if she can't help herself.  I swear she thinks to herself "Well, will mommy really lock it tonight?"  In the name of consistency, I've kept at it, but she still keeps getting up.

Does she need less sleep?  Should she go to bed later so she's more tired?  Is it because she's napping longer these days?  Yes, probably.  We're just going to try to tweak our bedtime routines a bit to help soothe her more at night and hopefully promote a more restful and calm Maya.

I hate having a sad ending to a wonderful day with my girl.  She's so loving and I know that she really wants to be obedient, but this is obviously an area we need some prayers.  Prayers for patience and mercy on my part, and prayers for obedience and peace for Maya.  I want so much to kiss her and tell her goodnight without a gnawing anxiety in my gut about the night ahead of us.  I'm so blessed to have such great kids & I'm going to be optimistic about our upcoming bedtimes.  I'm believing that everyday will get easier and easier.