Tuesday Tip # 4: Bedtime as a Guideline, not a LAW
I'm taking a break from writing tips today to offer some thoughts on parenting. Today's parenting tip: Take advantage of those bedtime "teachable" moments, bedtime be darned!
We have always had fairly strict bedtimes in our house. But even strict rules need to be flexible at times. Tonight was one of those nights. We had a busy night and by the time the kids were in bed and ready for their final kisses good night, it was after 9:00. Usually if it is after 9:00, my son gets a quick kiss and hug, a bedtime prayer and then lights out.
But today, my little guy (he's seven) had concerns on his mind. He's the kind of guy who will get something into his head and mull over and over it till it drives him crazy or gets him all worked up. Tonight he was telling me how he couldn't stop thinking about getting lost (he thought he almost lost us in the mall recently).
The bedtime rule went out the window, so to speak. I sat on his bed and we had a heart-to-heart. I reassured him that I would never leave a store without him and that I could never just walk off and forget about him. We talked about how sometimes we need to try to think of good things when we can't get a scary thought out of our head. We shared some more, had our bedtime prayers, kisses and hugs, and I left the room with David feeling more at peace.
We have always had fairly strict bedtimes in our house. But even strict rules need to be flexible at times. Tonight was one of those nights. We had a busy night and by the time the kids were in bed and ready for their final kisses good night, it was after 9:00. Usually if it is after 9:00, my son gets a quick kiss and hug, a bedtime prayer and then lights out.
But today, my little guy (he's seven) had concerns on his mind. He's the kind of guy who will get something into his head and mull over and over it till it drives him crazy or gets him all worked up. Tonight he was telling me how he couldn't stop thinking about getting lost (he thought he almost lost us in the mall recently).
The bedtime rule went out the window, so to speak. I sat on his bed and we had a heart-to-heart. I reassured him that I would never leave a store without him and that I could never just walk off and forget about him. We talked about how sometimes we need to try to think of good things when we can't get a scary thought out of our head. We shared some more, had our bedtime prayers, kisses and hugs, and I left the room with David feeling more at peace.