...and parents alike. Especially if you are a parent with four kids four and under. Try to imagine how it often goes. I announce it's bedtime. I have the 23-pound baby on one hip, and I am trying to corral 3 agile, shockingly fast boys into their cribs down at the end of the hall. I can physically drag one with my free arm, flip him up into his crib, then leave to drag the next two if I so choose. The problem with this method, though, is that child A can easily climb out of his crib, so no matter how many times I drag children A through C to bed, they will remove themselves infinity times from said cribs while I leave to chase and drag their siblings in. This is often done through hysterical laughing, on their parts.
Another method I've been known to use is to have the older four kids help. I have more success with this tactic than the former, but the 4 four and under often scream when anyone puts them to bed but me or their father.
And why, you ask, is my darling husband out of the picture? The dear man is usually out of town. You can bet that when he's here, however, things are much better. The following solution is one to use if you are without help....
Step 1. Make it a habit of rarely giving your children candy.
Step 2. Have a bottle of children's vitamins on hand.
Step 3. Announce to the kids that it is bed time and that the first person who jumps into his crib will get a "vitamin candy" first. See, this is where the "rarely giving candy" part comes in. They don't realize that the vitamin tastes nowhere near as good as candy.
Step 4. Say "On you marks, get set, GO!"
Step 5. Run with the little angels to their cribs with them, watch them fly up and over their railings then watch them wait patiently, standing in their cribs, for the vitamins.
Step 6. Give them their vitamins, read them their stories, give them their sips of water, hold their hands while you say prayers, let them kiss your hands or lips, whichever you prefer, leave their door open at just the right width, go back and let them kiss you again, and say good night.
There... Easy! I realize that there is one flaw with this technique, in that you are giving them vitamins after they brush their teeth, or without them having brushed their teeth at all, so you make your own decision as to whether or not this plan is right for you. Best of luck!
6 comments:
How it happens that when fathers are around things are going better?
And are your boys hand kissers too? Must be a male thing!
Yes, Alessandra, I like them to kiss my hand because then I don't have to bend all the way over into their cribs. I know, I'm lazy!
I had to buy a tent to put on top of the crib. That was the only way to keep my two year old in. Otherwise she would get up in the middle of the night. I like the idea of giving them vitamins, then they feel like it is treat time. I only have two 5 and under. I can only imagine what 4 would be like. Good tips.
What a sweet picture! So adorable!
My son is 11 & used to be a hand kisser as well. Now he is in the "refuse to kiss the momma" stage. Wah!
Jen, I just love peering into your life. I feel so "not alone." Thanks for all you share. Your family is just so loveable!
I only have two to wrangle into bed, but we made it a game by playing "kisses" before hand, where we set the alarm for 1-5 minutes (depending on how tired we are) and then chase the boys and when we catch them, we smother them with kisses. When the alarm sounds, they run and jump onto their beds to be changed.
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