The Great Stall Tactic

Those who have toddlers understand. I posted this on my Facebook page and thought it was funny enough to share here.

Ella is quite smart. She is in the terrible two stage right now. This means there is a whole lot of “I want it NOW!” and “No!”

That being said, bedtime, which used to be quite easy, has become more of a process. What follows is a rough estimate of what happened at bedtime last night.

From My Facebook Page:

(5:00pm) Sam puts Teletubbies on Netflix as a joke. Little did she know that both kids would LOVE it! (Urgh!!)

(5:30pm) Ella is hugging Sam before she leaves for work. “I’m tired. I wanna go sleepy”

(6:30pm) Kids are in pajamas and await video call from Mommy.

(6:55pm) Video chat with mommy. Both kids are fighting over who gets to hold the phone.

(7:15pm) Routine diaper check/change.

(7:30pm) I ask who/what Ella is taking to bed with her. (Usually it’s her princesses or books) “Nothing!” I ask if she is sure. “Yep. Nothing.”

(7:45pm) I tell her after we watch one more Teletubbies, it’s bedtime. “I’m not ready for bed, Daddy.”

(8:00pm) I say it’s time to brush teeth. “One more Teletubbies, Daddy. Then we brush teeth”

(8:15pm) Final diaper check/change. Time to brush teeth. I turn TV off and both kids rush to the bathroom. Teeth are brushed and we head to her room. I ask again if she is bringing anything to bed. “Nope. Just my blanket and Nini (pacifier).”

(8:17pm) We begin to say bedtime prayers, she interrupts. “Daddy, I need Rapunzel, Belle, and Cinderella! (Her Little People Princesses)

(8:18pm) We find the princesses she requested and head back to the bedroom. After getting under her blanket she says, “I need book Belle!” (The Belle from Little People is holding a book. Different from the Belle holding a flower!)

(8:19pm-8:20pm) Andrew and I walk out to the living room and look for “Book Belle” who was buried in a pile of toys.

(8:21pm) We return to Ella’s room. “You found her!”. We say prayers. “Say them again, Daddy.” I ad-lib a version of what I just said. “Amen.” She begs for me to say them again. I tell her God heard us the first two times and that it is time for bed.

(8:25 pm) I turn out the light and say goodnight. “Daddy, where is Tiana?” I ask if she wants the big Tiana (a stuffy) or the small Tiana (plastic bath toy). “Big Tiana”

(8:29pm) I return after a search of the living room with Tiana. “Oh thank you, Daddy!”

(8:31pm) After kissing her goodnight, I turn out the light and start to walk out. “Daddy, I need the white blankie on my pillow.”

(8:35pm) After adding the blankie to the top of her pillow and cover her back up. “Daddy, I want the Paw Patrol Blanket on, too.”

(8:37pm) Paw Patrol Blanket is now on. I say goodnight and close her bedroom door.

(8:45pm) Andrew falls asleep and I put him in his crib. I begin to write this post.

(8:50pm) Ella begins crying. I go in to see what’s wrong. “I need you to sing me a song, Daddy.”

(8:51pm) I sing “You Are My Sunshine” a couple times.

(8:53pm) “Sing me another song, Daddy.”. I sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. “Sing the ABC song, Daddy.”. I do.

(8:56pm) “Sing me one more song, Daddy.”. I choose Vieni Su, a Dean Martin song I used to sing to her as a baby. She obviously doesn’t remember it. I tell her I used to sing it to her. “I believe you, Daddy.

(9:01pm) One more kiss goodnight and I head back to my room to finish typing this! Whew!!

Goodnight, Princess Ella. Sleep well.