Daydreaming is Good
But only until 9pm.
I’m beginning to realize that as the child gets older, bedtime is starting to get a little later.
Bedtime has never, never been a fixed time. It was a suggestion at best most nights and still is today - but with a few twists.:
The negotiation seems to be he harder. I’m getting a lot of “five more minutes” when I announce her pending situation and then some nights (okay, most) when I let it slide she asks for another five. She does not know when to stop.
The screaming has stopped for the most part. There are still days and last night was one of them but they are becoming fewer and further between. Now she just tells me NO.
I told her if she told me no one more time I will tell her ab about my NO and that involves a valentines day party lon Saturday with her friend so she better pick it up and brush her teeth.
The trick for right now is to get her tooth brushed and ready to go and then she can noodle around in her bedroom for a bit until 9 at the latest. I found this works well.
In fact, this works so well that tonight she asked me “can I noodle around for a bit?”, and I said yes and the only time she came out was to find her stuffed animal for the night - that’s the sign she is done. We searched together for the stupid thing (it had fallen down the bedframe) and then we had a very short conversation about daydreaming and she told me she daydreams a lot. 1
I then told her that she is expected to daydream at this age and it’s almost encouraged because that’s the fun of having a brain - you get to use it - and it’s yours to do with it what you like.
As long as you don’t tell me NO again, that is.
We have rules here:
“Yes Dad”
Be Asleep by 9pm.
Daydream all you want.
Daydreaming about being a writer,
TH and Co.
tell me something I don’t know.