Bedtime and Kids

My little princess has never been an easy going child. She is...stubborn, determined, strong willed and sensitive. She is very much like me so I understand her. That is until it is bedtime, I am tired and she will not go to sleep.

Every single night we play the "go to Sleep" game.

The routine runs smoothly with bath, pajamas, brush your teeth, we read books and then say good-night. I go down stairs and 5 mins later yell up for lights out.

Thirty seconds later I hear "Mommy"

"What Princess?"

"I can't sleep."

"You haven't tried yet. Lay down and close your eyes."

"Mommy"

"Yes?"

"My legs are itchy."

"Scatch them and go to sleep."

"Mommy"

"WHAT?"

"My legs aren't itchy anymore but now my arms are itchy."

"Well, scratch them and GO TO SLEEP."

"I cannnnnn'ttttt! I'm not tired."

"You need to try. Lay down and close your eyes and sniff your blankets."

(My husband laughs. Yes, I just said sniff your blankets. She has two small blankets that she sleeps with at night and she puts them under her nose. Funny I know but this relaxes her.)

Every single night we go through the same thing. Sometimes her head hurts, she has to go to the bathroom, she hears a noise or her covers are twisted. Sometimes I can handle it fine but other times I end up yelling up the stairs..."GO....TO....SLEEP!!!!!"

I have tried to put her to bed later, earlier, all sorts of things but it is still the same scene. Every...single....night.

My son goes to sleep without a peep. Very rarely will he get up to go to the bathroom or he will have a bad dream. Two children, same parents and yet oh so different.