Kidded Out
As I wrote previously, bedtime has been prolonged lately, but at least it's been successful. Last night, on the other hand, was an utter disaster.
Things went smoothly until I had to kiss the pipsqueak good night and then leave the room. He clung to me, sobbing and crying that he wanted me to stay, that he was scared of the dark and that he wanted to sleep in my bed. He cried that I'd told him before that if he was scared, he could sleep with me. I told him I said no such thing, and I tucked him back in. I practically had to wrench my arm from him, and he was very upset when I left the room.
When I got downstairs, I could hear him crying, "Mama, mama, I have to go to the bathroom!" So I went back upstairs, stripped off his pjs and diaper, and put him on the toilet. He peed and then I dressed him again and put him back to bed. Five minutes after I got downstairs, I could hear him calling me again: "Mama, mama, I have to go to the bathroom AGAIN!" Went back upstairs and did the same routine. When he called out that he had to use the bathroom a THIRD time, I sent papa up. He told the boys firmly that I was not coming, that I was in bed, and that it was time for them to go to sleep.
After 10 or 15 minutes, I could still hear quiet sobbing coming from the room, so I crept in quietly to see what was up. (I know, I know, this was a big mistake.) The pipsqueak, who had been sobbing, sat up immediately and begged for a hug and kiss. When I leaned down to hug him, he clung to me and screamed. I picked him up and rocked him for a minute while he cried and pleaded to sleep with me ("I don't want to sleep in my big boy bed anymore! I am scared! I miss you! I want to snuggle and nurse and nurse..."), and then I tucked him back in and left. He screamed and cried some more. By this time, it had gotten late enough that I had no time to read or relax (hadn't even been able to turn on my Kindle), so I turned off the light and crawled in bed. I could hear him screaming and crying: "Mama, I need you! I need you! I need a hug! Please! Pleeeaasse!!! Mama, mama, mama! I need you!"
He was screaming so loudly that he would periodically cough and choke and gag (which is what both my boys did as babies anytime we tried anything remotely resembling "cry-it-out"). I ignored him at first, but then I called out that I couldn't come hug him because he was screaming too much and only if he stopped would I be able to come in and hug him. He screamed for a while longer and then started saying, "Mama, I've stopped. I'm not crying. I stopped." He said this with a little sob, but most of the hysteria had subsided. So I went in and hugged him one more time, promised him we'd snuggle when it was light out, and left the room. He seemed exhausted and miserable, but he did not cry again.
Then both boys were up at 6:30 AM this morning, and BOTH were sobbing. The squeaker was upset that his papa had not hugged him before he left for work (usually, we move both boys to the downstairs bed when their grandma gets to our house, and that's when they get hugs from us, but today I left for work later than usual so there was no need to move them). The pipsqueak just wanted to cling to me and insisted that I do everything for him (like make his breakfast) though I was trying to get out the door. I had wanted to leave before their grandma started breakfast because I hate to witness someone else cooking in my kitchen, but it was not to be. Then the squeaker cried more because his grandma had told him that while he didn't get a hug from papa, he'd be able to eat breakfast with mama, but I was trying to inhale my toast and get out the door as fast as possible, while she was cooking pancakes for the squeaker. So I had to wait, and that was painful, and then both boys clung to me and cried when I tried to leave and it was EXCRUCIATING.
But now I feel better. :-)
Things went smoothly until I had to kiss the pipsqueak good night and then leave the room. He clung to me, sobbing and crying that he wanted me to stay, that he was scared of the dark and that he wanted to sleep in my bed. He cried that I'd told him before that if he was scared, he could sleep with me. I told him I said no such thing, and I tucked him back in. I practically had to wrench my arm from him, and he was very upset when I left the room.
When I got downstairs, I could hear him crying, "Mama, mama, I have to go to the bathroom!" So I went back upstairs, stripped off his pjs and diaper, and put him on the toilet. He peed and then I dressed him again and put him back to bed. Five minutes after I got downstairs, I could hear him calling me again: "Mama, mama, I have to go to the bathroom AGAIN!" Went back upstairs and did the same routine. When he called out that he had to use the bathroom a THIRD time, I sent papa up. He told the boys firmly that I was not coming, that I was in bed, and that it was time for them to go to sleep.
After 10 or 15 minutes, I could still hear quiet sobbing coming from the room, so I crept in quietly to see what was up. (I know, I know, this was a big mistake.) The pipsqueak, who had been sobbing, sat up immediately and begged for a hug and kiss. When I leaned down to hug him, he clung to me and screamed. I picked him up and rocked him for a minute while he cried and pleaded to sleep with me ("I don't want to sleep in my big boy bed anymore! I am scared! I miss you! I want to snuggle and nurse and nurse..."), and then I tucked him back in and left. He screamed and cried some more. By this time, it had gotten late enough that I had no time to read or relax (hadn't even been able to turn on my Kindle), so I turned off the light and crawled in bed. I could hear him screaming and crying: "Mama, I need you! I need you! I need a hug! Please! Pleeeaasse!!! Mama, mama, mama! I need you!"
He was screaming so loudly that he would periodically cough and choke and gag (which is what both my boys did as babies anytime we tried anything remotely resembling "cry-it-out"). I ignored him at first, but then I called out that I couldn't come hug him because he was screaming too much and only if he stopped would I be able to come in and hug him. He screamed for a while longer and then started saying, "Mama, I've stopped. I'm not crying. I stopped." He said this with a little sob, but most of the hysteria had subsided. So I went in and hugged him one more time, promised him we'd snuggle when it was light out, and left the room. He seemed exhausted and miserable, but he did not cry again.
Then both boys were up at 6:30 AM this morning, and BOTH were sobbing. The squeaker was upset that his papa had not hugged him before he left for work (usually, we move both boys to the downstairs bed when their grandma gets to our house, and that's when they get hugs from us, but today I left for work later than usual so there was no need to move them). The pipsqueak just wanted to cling to me and insisted that I do everything for him (like make his breakfast) though I was trying to get out the door. I had wanted to leave before their grandma started breakfast because I hate to witness someone else cooking in my kitchen, but it was not to be. Then the squeaker cried more because his grandma had told him that while he didn't get a hug from papa, he'd be able to eat breakfast with mama, but I was trying to inhale my toast and get out the door as fast as possible, while she was cooking pancakes for the squeaker. So I had to wait, and that was painful, and then both boys clung to me and cried when I tried to leave and it was EXCRUCIATING.
But now I feel better. :-)
posted by Blue Moon Mama at 9:20 AM
3 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
(( hug ))
I read your post and felt your pain. Right now I am a stay at home mom with 2 3 year old twins (boy/girl) and a 5 week old infant. I am basically a walking zombie. My little boy cries for a bedtime story some nights and I am just so exhausted I can't even fathom it. They stopped napping last summer, so from 8am to 9pm they are all mine! Except for the newborn which is mine 24/7. :-)
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