What is it about bed time that brings out the monster in my son & the witch in me?  Throughout the day I’m patient, full of energy and ready to play but by the end of the day my patience is run out, my tank is empty & I’m exhausted.  I can’t be the only parent that feels this way…

I wish I could say that my son is a good sleeper, but he’s not and though I’ve become accustom to the sleepless nights it’s the bedtime boxing match that I have a hard time getting used to.  Every night I tell myself it’s going to be different, that he’s going to fall asleep on his own & I’ll get to fold laundry or at least relax with my husband.  Unfortunately, every night after I lay him down and quietly creep out his room he stands up in his crib and screams until I return to rock him back to sleep.  Usually by the fourth or fifth time I start to lose my mind.  I hate to admit it but there have been times I’ve yelled back, begged him to lay down and even cried along with him.

I like to think I’m getting better at our bedtime routine.  I’ve started to implement easy tricks to help me stay calm like deep breathing & leaving the room when my patience runs dry.  I’ve learned the hard way that he can sense my anxiety which in turn upsets him even more & brings out the monster in him.

It’s a work in progress…