Operation Sandman Has Hit a Roadblock

The longest parenting struggle we've had with our child revolves around her bedtime. Before she could walk and talk, she could cry forever and couldn't fall asleep without one of us right by her side. Then after she could walk and talk she became the master of sleep delay tactics.

She really doesn't like to sleep. This really confuses someone like me who loves to get as much shut-eye as humanly possible.

Yet from the time she could make her demands understood, she has used thirst, hunger, bodily functions, mysterious itches that required immediate treatment, abandoned toys in other rooms that might need her during the night, plus all the other familiar last minute requests to get out settling down. Her seemingly innate knowledge of the classic excuses has been impressive.

But we learned to prevent these issues with additional bullets on the extensive check list of tasks on the Operation Sandman's schedule and so far that has worked. For the first time in years, we had made progress and we appeared to be headed for optimal sleepy time zen.

Oh how foolish we are. We obviously haven't learned yet that two step forwards means stepping off a cliff.

Gigi has figured out exactly how to get us to respond the way she wants in Operation Delay Sandman: Gigi saves all the interesting talk and discussions for lights-out time.

As soon as her stories are read and she is snugly tucked in, she will start chattering in a very animated way -- telling me what she did during the day at school. This is followed by detailed stories about her friends. Then maybe it's a song she's learned, quickly followed by a long story that is riddled with questions for me, therefore prolonging the process.

My girl tells me all the minutia that is latest breaking news to an almost four year old and I love it.

Gigi generally covers the answers to any questions asked of her during the day that were initially rebuffed. It's almost like she's saving them up or something.

She's got me again.

Most nights I can tell when she's run out of things to say and she knows when I've reached full tolerance. We say good night and agree that it's time to get to sleep.

But when she is regaling me with the adventures of the day I lap it up. I guess that's the way it's going to be since getting answers out of her before was like demanding she saw off her own leg or share her treats.

So I will sit there in the dark not asking her to quiet down and listen to the details I've wanted to know, the stories I've wanted to hear and if this is how it's going to happen, so be it. I can work this into the routine.

This is an original post to Canada Moms Blog.

img used by permission from: sxc.hu artist code1name