 |
| Source |
“Bedtime routine? There isn't time to have a routine, per say. All I can ever do is first, get my child to go to sleep and then, you call it a day.” :)
Ask a mother of a 22-month old toddler for her bedtime routine and you think you already know the answer. Right?
Wrong !
Most moms in my apartment complex (heads up - there are 3 other toddlers on he same floor as us and of the same age) would swear by the above-stated routine.
As for me, my day literally starts or (gets even busier) once the baby is down. And that doesn't involve any of my personal ‘want-to-do’ items. Well not all of them.
For one, the dirty dishes need to be sorted out so that the household can face the next day pandemonium with a fresh mind (and a clean kitchen sink). After that, it’s the turn of the living room and dining area. The strewn toys get picked up and stashed in the toy box, the chairs need to be stationed back in place and oh, how can I forget the mail envelopes that need to be cleared up from the million places where they always end up being rather than the super-comfortable and well-organized wall pockets. *Take a hint atleast now, my dear hubby* :P
And then the favorite part of my bedtime routine. Once everything is back in place, it’s time to read or maybe write or even explore creative options for my dance school. While I ensure none of these activities run past midnight, there are those ‘days’ when creativity just holds on to you at the weirdest hour and it’s hard to break the continuity.
And while we are still talking about routines, my toddler also decides to go off-track on some days because kids, apparently, like having spontaneity in their schedule. So just when it seems like they have retired for the night, they may surprise you by waking up after a short nightly nap to emerge fresher and much more active than during day times.
So the one thing I would like to change in my bedtime routine is to move all those ‘want-to-do’ items over to the early hours of the day. So as to be able to drop dead asleep at night. So as to wake up ‘early’ and consistently too.
But until then, I’ll just put my baby to sleep, battle the drooping eyelids and tip toe to the next room to read or write or… zzzz :)
Tell me, what's your bedtime routine like ? Is there anything you would / wouldn't change about it ?
My creative time starts around 10 at night. I write until I fall asleep at the computer and then go to bedaround midnight or later.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Carol :) We have similar taste when it comes to the statement - 'Write till you drop'. ;)
DeleteOh that sounds so exhausting. I often think I'll clean once I get my kids down, but I usually collapse before I do. My kids are a bit older now but still so demanding just in a different way. I am more mentally tired than physically I think. Thanks for your thoughts #Fridayreflections
ReplyDeleteThat's what happens to me too Mac :) On some days, I get confused as to who is putting down whom to sleep? Because I am fast asleep even before my baby :P Thanks for visiting.
Deletehahaa! How i Wish the hubbies take a hint :)
ReplyDelete:) Do they ever ? Thanks for visiting.
DeleteMaintaining routines with a toddler are a bit tough. But now that we have a teen who is at a boarding school, I do not follow strict bed time routines for myself. Sometimes I am up reading/writing till 3 in the night and sometimes I am in bed by 10 pm. Whenever tiredness or laziness hits me, it's time to rest. :)
ReplyDelete3 AM ? Wow, that's impressive. :) It's like the creativity streak decides when we need to rest our brains. Thanks for visiting, Shilpa.
DeleteMy favorite part of the day starts after my son is down. Me and my husband get our alone time only then and we spend next 2 hours watching one of the TV shows and actually talk without the constant interruptions every 2 seconds. :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, Vinitha. The day looks so refreshing when the baby is down and I have a good 2 hours to go before retiring for the day. Aahh bliss ! :) Watching movies is another favorite pastime of ours too. Thanks for visiting.
DeleteThere was a time when I'do get the kids to bed by 9 and then do my own stuff. Now they're up till 10 so I try to wrap up all the painful bits of 'work' so I get a 'happy hour' before I turn in for the night. The clearing up is so painful, isn't it? And there's so much of it with the kids. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. Cleaning up takes a whole new definition when babies arrive in the family. :) Glad to know you are able to enjoy at least an hour of bliss before bedtime. Thanks for visiting.
Deletewow you sure are busy lady ... mine isn't as hectic as yours... I just write few words, visit few blogs and sometimes I don't anything except read a book and sleep.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Rajlakshmi. How I wish I could maintain my bedtime routine as what you mentioned. Reading before hitting the bed is something I look forward to every night even if it's a few pages.
DeleteI'll tell you this - I don't have kids of my own and I don't have a bedtime routine. But my life is so not as crazy as yours with a toddler and all...I don't know how you do it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for those kind words, Janine. :) xoxo
DeleteCrawl into bed (coz I work out right before I go to sleep), hold on to book till eyes shut. That's my routine :D
ReplyDeleteNice post, I wish people would write more stuff like this these days that gives us insight into who they are and what they are like.
Thanks for visiting ! :) All thanks to the wonderful group - "Friday Reflections" for providing such deep and meaningful prompts. ;)
DeleteYou have a hectic life. I don't have a bed time routine but sometimes I read before I go zzzz :) Enjoyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Parul. Reading before hitting the sack is what I yearn to do on most nights until the ultimate procrastination sets in ;)
DeleteSo I don't have a toddler but I feel like I'm always rushing. All. The. Time. Even for bed. I want to try and get to bed by 10 (because I wake up at 5) and so it's sometimes a mad rush trying to get everything ready for the next day and get to bed in time. Other days I just get distracted with blogging and then realise it's late!
ReplyDeleteI too swear by the bedtime routine and since I work outside home, I did enjoy it a lot! Giving my kid a bath, putting on lotion and pajamas, brushing his teeth, and then reading a storybook together, all accompanied by a continuous stream of chatter was very sweet! Now that my kids are older, I still try to keep the book reading session going!
ReplyDelete