There used to be a season when bedtimes were easy and fast for Baby Jayne. When the clock hits 830pm, she would follow me into the bedroom, drink a bottle of milk and fall asleep within 10 minutes flat. I didn’t even have to pat her. Just sing softly, and she’d be fast asleep in no time.
How I wish that season would never end!
She is now into the bedtime terror season, where she’d resist sleeping time totally. I would literally have to drag her into the bedroom, coax, threaten and persuade her to lie down. Then she’d start verbalising her requests one by one. In no particular irritating order:
1. I want Daddy to come in too.
2. I want to drink another bottle of milk.
3. I want you to read me a story.
4. I want to drink water.
5. I want to play the IPAD.
6. Who opened the door? I want to go out and see.
7. I can hear Jie Jie outside. She’s still not sleeping? I want to go out and see.
8. I want you to sing a song.
9. I want you to switch on the lights.
10. I want you to switch off the lights.
By the time she reaches the 10th request, I am usually boiling with fury, and ready to explode. I am so not exaggerating when I say she’s a terror.
Once she’s gone through all her requests, she’d start rolling on the bed, half-singing and half-talking to herself for a good 15 minutes, then she’d laugh and smile to herself before she’d finally let out a yawn and fall asleep some 30 minutes later. Sometimes, I struggle to keep my eyes open just waiting for her to fall asleep! God is training my patience just by letting me put my kids to bed!
I would like to make myself feel better by telling myself that every parent goes through the same trauma as me every night. But just the other day, I met a Mummy friend, who told me that her three kids have all been trained to go to bed by themselves when it’s bedtime, and they’d fall asleep by themselves in the room. =.= Oh Lord, why doesn’t this anointing fall upon me?!
May this season not last. Thank you very much.
