Bedtime Balk

[MK]

Okay, the morning routine post got me thinking during dinner tonight about how much I was NOT looking forward to the bedtime hassle. Here's our routine: 1)dinner 2)kids start cleaning room 3)discover kids playing or bickering, remind them to continue cleaning 4)repeat step 3 5)repeat steps 3 and 4 6)tell kids to get pj's on and brush teeth 7)repeat step 6 8 )count to ten slowly while kids race to get step 6 accomplished before I finish counting 9)tell kids to clear a "path" in room and go to bed 10)count to five slowly while kids collect hugs and kisses, go potty, get drinks, and jump into bed by 8:30.

Somewhere in there ds #1 does also get his stuff ready for school, without my reminding or counting, so I guess that's one thing that goes smoothly.

Anyone have a better bedtime basic?

And, ironically, wouldn't you know it? As I type this the kids have already finished cleaning their room, have their pj's on, and are brushing their teeth, without my having to count. That means I have to log off and let them watch tv, since it's too early to put them to bed. LOl. I just don't get it sometimes.


[Edited by MK on 02-22-2001 at 07:49 PM]

[AnnW]

Do they share a room? If so, maybe one has to does the backpack, get ready for the am, while the other is in cleaning his side of the room and then vice versa..maybe having both in there together is a distraction?

[MK]

Yes, they do share a room, and we've even tried the "okay, you clean while brother brushes his teeth" (they sqabble in the bathroom too), but that usually only works on the older boy. The younger one (age 5)just simply will not clean without his brother helping. And he doesn't take a backpack or have to gather anything to get ready for preschool. The brunt of all the prepping and cleaning usually falls on the 7yo, which isn't very fair, poor kid.

Every now and then, though, the 5yo will clean the room all by himself, but that is rare (I think it's only happened twice), and it was in the middle of the day when his brother was still at school! I just about freaked, lol!

[Amy2]

MK, I was wondering if maybe there was too much going on at night?. Maybe cleaning the room could be done at another time prior to the bedtime routine, Say before dinner? Or another idea, maybe they could take turns, one kid does the room one night, the other kid does the room the next night...just a thought.