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5 Cheshvan 5765 - October 20, 2004 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family


Bedtime Battle
by Adina Mayer

If I'd tell the kids we were going to China, England or America, my announcement would be greeted by gleeful squeals. Somehow, despite their adventurous natures, the prospect of going to Dreamland is shunned with protests and sighs. I'm not sure what this lack of enthusiasm could be attributed to but I thought perhaps the monotony of the daily trip was to blame. Finally, tired of the nightly revolt, I decided to spice things up so that my children would embrace the visits to that enchanted kingdom of Sleep.

The very next morning, the morning after Hashem planted this idea in my exhausted mind, I set out with my preparations to ease the dreaded bedtime hour. As soon as the children awoke, I graced them with the exciting offer to buy them new bedsets. I thought that maybe some bright colors, perhaps birds, flowers or shapes, would encourage them to anticipate the trips to Sleep. Puzzled at my out-of-the-blue offer, they accepted immediately (why not?), afraid that this sudden burst of generosity would disappear in an instant. They left for school with smiles and dreams; they dreamed of a captivating bedroom while I dreamed of a cooperative bedtime.

Throughout the day, I planned. I invented other strategies to alleviate tension on the nightly battlefield. I wrote a list of all the problems so that I could then come up with a solution. I knew this would be no easy feat, but when proved successful, it would subsequently be deemed worth every bit of effort. Even if I had to lose a couple of hours of sleep while in the planning stages, I'd gain back that lost sleep and more, in no time!

With the promising future as an encouraging friend, I composed my list, which turned out to be longer than I'd originally hoped. I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. I'm not tired. So-and-So's bothering me. You forgot to sign my test -- the teacher will be upset with me. It's too dark; it's too light. I'm scared of monsters. I'll have a bad dream. Why do I have to go to sleep so early -- So-and-So gets to stay up later than me. I didn't do my homework. I forgot to call a friend. I forgot to brush my teeth and I'll get cavities.

I shuddered at the mere thought of bedtime, but then I switched gears. I began to entertain that lofty notion of a pleasant routine. I just had to create the system. I racked my brain for days and finally came up with a winning solution. No one in the world, children included, likes to be tied to such a rigid schedule; the project would have to include some form of flexibility. I decided to incorporate the ease in a most funny form since I was sure that the children would take to it immediately.

That very aftrnoon, we went to the store to choose the new pattern for the bedroom linen. After much negogiating between all of the children, we finally compromised on a pretty design with delicious looking fruit. I told the children that if they were hungry at bedtime, they should admire their sheets and dream of the fruit they'd choose at breakfast, in the morning, of course. The children welcomed this purchase with much appreciation and I felt intuitively that it would prove worth every shekel.

That very night, when bedtime arrived, I came into the bedroom with a little plastic bag filled with folded papers. Curious, the children clamored to find out what was going on. I explained that since it was a challenge to lead bedtime every night and since they knew the excuses better than I did, I thought we'd try something new. They greeted this announcement with tangible excitement. I proceeded to explain that every night, a different child would have a turn to be the leader and everyone would get an equal chance.

With my eyes closed, I stuck my hand into the bag and drew out a small note. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that it read the name of my oldest daughter. Everyone was excited at the prospect of this exciting game, a disguise for the dreaded bedtime. My daughter took on the role and announced a race. Everyone was so anxious to win that tooth-brushing and changing into pajamas was done at record speed. Once everyone was in bed, she took the initiative and gave out small cups of water to prevent the "I'm thirsty" syndrome. Looking on from a distance, I wondered why I hadn't thought of that genius idea on my own. I guess impatience at a daily routine can be blinding. I was sure that this system would be an eye- opener for me.

A week went by and the results were mind-boggling. The children actually looked forward to bedtime so much that their homework was done speedily and the entire evening went much more smoothly.

One night, as I came in to assign the leader, the children chorused, "Mommy, we want you to be the leader." Doubtfully, I agreed. I feared the worst, vaguely remembering the old bedtime hassle. I began the preparation with butterflies in my stomach but when I stepped onto the battlefield, I was greeted by an incredible surprise. I knew that the battle was over when they asked me to please be in charge again and promised to do their best.

Of course, there are hurdles to overcome at times, but in general, the nights are very pleasant. It's much more exciting to go to Sleep because the room is inviting and the Mommy is patient -- well, usually.

If you take the time to tackle the Battle head on, it can become a breeze and sleep can become not only a normal activity, but even special.

 

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