Every now and then, I come up with a pretty good parenting idea. Today? I am quite proud of my "bedtime activities chart."
You see, we have a bedtime issue.
A classic three-year-old "I don't want to stop playing" issue.
And yes, we - Mom & Dad - are probably to blame.
After a busy day of work, errands, and various tasks, we enjoy the quiet of Amelia's bedroom and the extra time for some giggles. But with every new funny game we play, our precocious little daughter files it away and comes to expect it. Again and again and again each night. At this point, our bedtime routine has about twelve steps and takes forever. We can't even get a nighttime babysitter because her routine is that crazy.
Tonight, we're introducing my new creation. A chart with velcro images. A chart that allows Amelia to make her own bedtime choices. But only two of them. Each night, we will let her dictate what we play. She will select two images (books, animals, Little People, songs, etc.) and stick them to the bright pink squares.
No changing her mind. No asking to do more. She gets to select TWO activities.
I am prepared to face a few tears at first. However, I hold out hope that we can reach a good place. I want to help Amelia assert her independence by leaving the activity selection entirely in her own hands (literally). I want to help manage her expectations by focusing those decisions and consistently sticking with only two per night.
This chart was easy to make. Images from the Internet, self-stick velcro dots, some poster board, and tape. I think it's a pretty sharp idea!
Let's hope it works.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3MomsIn1.com partner:
Popular Posts
-
The weather is really bi-polar these days. We officially turned on the heat to combat the cold nights. But in the afternoon, I'm strippi...
-
My little girl is a monster! A pretend one, thankfully. She has been practicing her " rooaar! " ever since reading the new childre...
-
T-shirts and sneakers whiz by in a blur of rainbow colors. Heat from sun-warmed metal radiates through our clothes. Wind lifts my hair, tang...
-
The holidays are fast approaching. Stores are squeezing the witches, ghosts, and pumpkins on their shelves to make room for the accumulation...
-
I received the phone call on a Thursday evening. One year and one week ago. "Anne (my sister-in-law) was in an accident. She fell down...
-
Do you know Boogie Wipes? If you don’t, you should. The kids are back in school, and those nasty viruses will start coming home with them. (...
-
Amelia is ready for big girl mealtime. We've graduated from the highchair to a comfy pink booster seat. She's a pro at drinking from...
-
It seems all the kiddos are back to school now. My daughter's preschool class begins August 31st. She attended all summer long, so not a...
-
I often said we were a family of three. But really, we were a family of four . Daddy, Mommy, little girl, and cat. Claude came into my life ...
-
GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. - - - - Momtrepreneur Melissa: Owner of Ellabee Papier Hello, I'm Melissa with Ellabee Papier and mommy to Ella, an ...
0 comments:
Post a Comment