One of the most consistent parts of a parent's job is putting the kids to bed. How this happens, however, seems to differ from family to family and even from child to child. For us, bedtime routines are ever-evolving, yet are usually one of the best parts of the day (and not just because it means a "break").
When my girls were babies, I ignored common wisdom about never putting a baby to bed asleep. I nursed them to sleep every night and placed them gently in a bassinet inches from my bed. Not that the night was over by any means, but there was definitely something satisfying about laying down a sleeping baby.
As they got older and moved to their cribs, I would read them a book in the glider, feed them and rock them and lay them down gently. These few months were the holy grail of bedtime - every bit as sweet as you dream about when carrying that baby.
Then came the terrible 2s for Big A. I think we must have rushed her into a big bed too quickly with Little A's arrival because we had some rough bedtimes there for a while. Full on wrestling matches, jumping on the bed screaming...you get the picture. Not pretty or idyllic or satisfying. Just frustrating and draining.
Luckily that phase passed and Little A got a little older and we moved on to the whole family in bed watching a cartoon before bed routine. While this was enjoyable, it turned bedtime in an hour long process. And now, we rarely have that much time because usually before we know it, its time for the girls to sleep and there's no time for drawn out routine.
Since I've been back to work, the girls have come up with new routines that we are really enjoying. Both still get milk and a book, but after her book, Big A likes to "talk about our days" - its amazing what you can find out in a 10-minute bedtime chat. And she seems genuinely interested in our days too. One day I told her that I went to a meeting where they didn't serve lunch and I was so hungry all day. Now she refers to my work as "the place where you're hungry" and makes sure I pack extra food each morning.
As for Little A, she seems to be reverting back a bit. After her book, she asks to "rock and sing a song." I scoop her into the glider that hadn't been used in months, and rock her as I sing made-up words to old lullabies. She's a little OCD, so now I am only allowed to sing "Hush Little Baby" and she sings along softly with me. Honestly, I have to confess that I love this new routine. Even though her legs hang off my lap and carrying her to her bed isn't quite as easy as it used to be, it still feels just as good to rock my baby.
Who knows what is coming up next in the world of bedtime routines, but at this moment I love starting off my "break" for the day with a lullaby or a chat. And its even better knowing that there's now a good chance that I won't be seeing them again till the morning!
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