Bedtime Shenanigans

As a stay at home mom I have to admit sometimes I cannot wait for the end of the day. The point of the day when it is time to get the girls ready for bed. I love my children. I adore them. I want to be around them. But when it is 8pm I am mentally, emotionally and physically done. I need that time to re-energize so that I am the best version of myself the next day.

The beginning bedtime process goes rather smoothly. Brush teeth, put on pjs, get a drink of water, go potty. We have successfully succeeded pregame. Then it is game time. We give each other hugs and kisses and do our “secret” handshakes. Nightlight. Check. Monitor. Check. Fan. Check. Blankets are on and the most prized stuffed animals are neatly placed alongside the girls. We say goodnight. We say see you in the morning. We close the door.

This is where you think the relaxing begins. The sigh of relief. The time to slip into our pjs and watch a little TV. Well you are so incredibly wrong. It does not take the girls long before the door opens. Sometimes we do not even make it out of the hallway before we hear the creak of the door.

“Mom I am thirsty.”

“Mom I need my blanket on.”

“Mom I need a book.”

“Mom I can’t sleep.”

“Mom I have to go potty.”

The list goes on and on.

They have a wonderful way of asking. I seem to answer the question, get them back in bed, settle myself on the couch and low and behold there is a child next to me asking another question. It is a vicious cycle. It is like some sick and twisted game they play. It is like they do not want me to have any moment of relaxation. I am on to you, my sweet, sweet children.

After a constant struggle for many, many minutes, there will come silence. There will be that moment when the door no longer opens. This is post-game. This is when I am so exhausted from the back and forth that I do not have the time to accomplish all the relaxation that I wanted to achieve. I no longer have time to watch a show. I no longer have the energy to read. I just want to curl up in bed and sleep.

Unfortunately this is not the only problem that we are having with bedtime. The girls share a room. I should note that it is a very small room. They sleep extremely close to one another. With being close they tend to play and laugh and become very loud. I do not mind them talking quietly but the volume that they reach in there is like they are trying to talk over a freight train. The other night we went in there ten times to discipline them for being too loud and playing in their room. We have contemplated splitting them up but believe there is a way to get over this hurdle and get them to behave in their beds at night. So parents with children that share a room, do you have a solution?