Battling Bedtime

     In the world of kids and sleep, mine do not go together very well. Sometimes it looks more like a toddler trying to pound an incorrect puzzle piece into a puzzle.

     My nearly 3 year old daughter has been boycotting, picketing, and rioting against naps since she was 18 months old! I thought at first that it was a dirty trick. I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April Fools Day. Unfortunately, it wasn't. It was more like Groundhog Day.

     Each day, Ava would amaze me with her ability to play hard without falling asleep for a nap. I would listen to stories of other Mom's I know who have kids the same age, and their kids were still falling asleep in the car on the way home from playdates! My child was still happily running around with just as much energy when it was 6:00 in the evening. While I was grateful for a happy demeanor, I truly missed the time for myself to recharge for an hour or two in the middle of the day.

     Lately, bedtimes are becoming a bit more interesting as well. I'm attributing some of this to being three. Three-year olds negotiate. They stall. They whine a bit more. They think they need water 5 minutes after they just had their last sip. They are particular (about how their blanket is or is not covering them, where their stuffed animals should sleep at in the bed, how loud or soft their music should be). In the midst of this, our job as a parent is to simply be patient, consistent, and patient again. It takes much patience to train young children. 

     While I cannot make my child go to sleep, I can create an environment with expectations that communicate that sleeping (or at least laying quiet) is what's on the agenda. Young children push boundaries and limits to see where they truly are set. If we give in to everything, they'll never have a healthy understanding of boundaries. And while setting boundaries is never easy, it's essential if we desire for our children to become healthy, responsible, productive adults.