Bedtime Review

Has anyone else ever run into this issue?

Bedtime routine used to be my thing when Taylor was a baby and then Jay took it over. Somehow it is now my routine again. Although in fairness I'm not sure how that happened. I feel tricked, but I don't know why. I suspect that I offered to help one night and now it's my routine again. In any event, I've been putting Taylor to bed for months now. We have a fairly straight forward routine with little room for variation. In exactly this order: we unwind, brush our teeth, get on PJ's, collect the bedtime buddies that will be joining her in bed, kiss Daddy and baby Evan, get tucked in, have water, roll over for back rubs, scream about having to go to bed and then eventually pass out into blissful slumber.

Seriously, every night for months and months my toddler screams just before she falls asleep. It was only ever for a few minutes. Literally, I think I just assumed that this was her way of getting the stress of the day out of her system. In reality the screaming was as much a part of our routine as anything else. Never saw it that way before, but it is...or was. The wailing has been getting a bit prolonged. And by prolonged I mean it's lasting upwards of 30 minutes and on some unfortunate nights up to an hour. Yes, we are now a far cry away from the 5 minutes it used to be.

The other night was particularly trying. She was laying down just screaming and screaming and we were rapidly approaching an hour of this. I had my head on her pillow, she had her head next to mine...I probably would have fallen asleep, but for the noise. Jay walks in and says....

Jay: "Taylor, you need to be quiet. Baby Evan is asleep and I don't want you waking him up"

Taylor: In the most completely composed voice ever. "But I'm just whining dad"

**Hold on** She knows she's whining. She can stop at any time and be composed when asked! WTF. Why didn't I know this? Seriously. Seriously kid.

Jay: "Lay down and go to sleep"

Taylor: "Okay"

I walked out of that room and a few minutes later my husband emerges victorious. The child is asleep. I think my head is still spinning from this realization.