****************************
proof that she is our kid - her father and I are both bookshop people - we LOVE bookshops
Connor is fearless - he thinks he's 4 the way he goes around bossing big kids around. The good thing is that Kendra sees this bravery and joins in. I had to take pics because she is not someone to go off and play somewhere without us in sight
MandyE wanted us to talk about schedules next - I can't think why?! :)
Those of you who've been around since the babies were real babies know that we battled a LOT to even get them on a schedule with anything - sleep, eating, everything.
My children never ever stretched to even 3 hours to eat til they went on solids at 4 and 5 months respectively.
And once I saw the scheduling thing eventually start working I was all for it.
Still, I did hate all the other mothers who had perfect kids who fed every 4 hours (and longer).
So the way I do things is we stick to a general rhythm, not necessarily a schedule.
I watch cues for sleepiness and put them down around 10:30 - 11-ish and they'll sleep around 2 hours.
Then they're up for lunch, play time and we now bath first and then feed them at 5, but no later than 5:30.
When I get home at 5:30-ish, they're in their pyjamas and we spend time together on my bed (I sort out my work stuff, change clothes and they play with special books I keep in my bedside drawer) and then they have their milk while I snuggle with them (I'll take what I can get - it's the only time Connor is ever still).
I used to be very strict about getting them to bed at 6 sharp. In fact, the music (sleep CD) was on at 5:55 and they were out like lights by 6:00.
But then D messed things up because he said he missed them.
So I'd keep them up til 6:30 so they could spend some time with him.
I will say this - if he's going somewhere after work and will not be home by 6:30, he has to let me know and we do bed-time without him.
It's very cute how the kids know who they can take chances with.
At 6:25 I say, "come babies (yes, I call them babies), it's time for bed".
They each hold my hand (can you imagine the cuteness?!), we go to their bedroom, I pray with each one individually (apparently D and I do this totally differently, which is a topic for another post), tuck Connor in (Kendra doesn't like to be tucked in - "no, Mummy, no tuck"), say goodnight and I love you.
I switch on the music, turn out the lights and leave.
And that's it.
No drama.
When D is there, they read a lot longer and then pray and tuck in. But their whole bedtime thing takes about 30 minutes.
They run around their room, playing, looking for excuses to get out of bed, etc.
I hear them carrying on while I'm cooking supper.
So to summarise...
We feed roughly at 8, 1, 3:30-ish and 5.
They sleep at 10:30 - 11-ish and then at 6:30 (with me) - 7-ish (with D)
They never wake at night except when Kendra's sick and her meds are wearing off (just before that 6-hour mark, she'll wake) but they do wake up bright and early at 5:30 - 6-ish every day.
Don't bother telling me to put them to bed later - we've tried that - it doesn't work - all it means is they get to wear us out another hour or two and they still wake at 5:30 - 6ish.
These kids are, sadly, early birds.
I had the bright idea to teach them to tell time the other day so told V this morning she must start telling them they only get milk at 6 in the pm and 6 in the am :)
Let's see - after all they can identify letters, I'm sure they can learn the time (at least just 6 o'clock).
On the strict scale I'm a 7 or 8.
Where do you fall on the scheduling strict scale?
