Got Bedtime?

Sometimes our kids come up with ways to get out of things that we simple can’t argue with. In our house my oldest is a genius at extending the bedtime.

It started happening about six months ago. My little angel just happened to need go to the bathroom every night at precisely eight-o-clock. Numero dos.

Mom! I can’t help it. It’s not my fault. I’m on a schedule!

You can’t fight a finely tuned set of bowels. You wouldn’t even want to try.

Oh how I envy those parents who get their kids to go to sleep with a drink of water or a night light.

What about you? What do your kids do to get out of bedtime? Parent Bloggers wants to know and so do I!

Countdown to August 18th

It gets marked on the calendar every spring as the last day of school approaches. I’m talking of course about the first day of school. This little ray of sunshine is what gets us through the sweaty days of summer. The little box of happiness is very close on my planner…

I learned a trick from a friend when my kids started school that I have used ever since. Two weeks before school actually starts we get back into the routine. In our house that comes down to this: going to bed and getting up on time, and video game and TV access.

All Summer I could care less what time the kids get to bed, as long as it’s before I do. We sleep in late and take each day as it comes. This is a major luxury of not working or working at home. I also let them numb their minds on video games and TV. Because really, it’s hot, you can only go to the lake or the pool so many times before they get an ear infection, and it keeps them quiet. However, I almost died last month when I picked up my son from his grandparents to see he’d logged 60 hours on his new Mario Brothers Game on the DS. 60 hours. In two weeks. That’s more than I work.

I broke the news yesterday over breakfast.

To bed at 8, up at 6, and no TV or video games during the week.

My son’s face nearly melted.

But it’s still summer!

Ha! Not for long, kid, not for long.