WOH and sleeping issues

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
WOH and sleeping issues
2315
Sun, 05-22-2005 - 10:34am

We were at a dinner party last night at the home of one of dh's coworkers. They have 2 boys, 6 and 4. They have a bunch of sleeping issues (kids 'scared' at night, won't fall asleep in their own bed, won't go to bed without mom or dad cuddling them, etc.) The mom blames herself because since she works all day and misses them so much she tends to cuddle with them late at night and they fall asleep in a pile on the bed all together. She said that if she SAH, they wouldn't have the same issues.


I sah. For us, bed time is a rigid, welcome respite at the end of the day. Dh has no desire to keep them up either, lol.

Meldi

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 10:06pm

Yup. On my non-working days, if I'm tired and want to make things really, really easy for myself, I invite a friend or two over for the boy(s).

Of course, I also think that having two kids is much, much easier than having one. But what do I know? ;)

Congratulations! I'm so happy to hear it. I just heard the good news and popped back over, just in case you were still checking in.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:01pm
I was getting the kids ready to go to the pool this afternoon when I realized we were fresh out of swim diapers. Dh was home, so he ran to the drugstore for them so I wouldn't have to get the kids out of the car (which was a quite helpful since the 2.5yo had already taken off her diaper and put on her swimsuit). We passed each other on the street; he tossed them from his car into mine; and the girls and I went on to the pool. Of course, if I were a really good mother the 2.5yo would be potty-trained and no longer require swim diapers. And, since it was 4 p.m., she would also have had a nap ;-)
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:04pm

As does just about everyone, I'm sure. But my girls are both so extraordinarily sweet when they're sick. It's like they know that they just made a horrible mess, which under normal circumstances, would make mom kinda grumpy. But instead they get hugged and kissed and told that everything will be ok, and they seem extra sweet about it.

Just trying to find the bright side ;-)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:12pm
That is just so vastly different from my experience that I'm not sure what to say. Of course kids need supervision, as in a responsible adult nearby to make sure that they don't seriously injure themselves, but my 5.5 yo plays with her friends for hours on end day in and day out with very few problems that require adult intervention.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:14pm

Are you only talking about parties at "strange" houses? How about children at a good friend or family member's house, with good friends or cousins? When the house is familiar to them? Does that matter?

I have finally reached the point where my children can go do their own thing for hours at a time with minimal parental intervention (regardless of whose house we are at) and it is pretty nice.

Yesterday I worked with my sister in her garage from noon to 7 pm. We were in charge of four children (3 1/2, 3 1/2, 5, 6) who played in the house and out in the yard all day. We stopped to feed them, to redirect them once or twice, to play a game of tag, and to yell at them to get out of the garage. In the seven hours I was there, our children occupied themselves for about six with very minimal supervision.

It wasn't always this way. But it sure is nice. There's a reason I love to hang out with my parents and my siblings. The kids can run around and I am just not needed all that much!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:15pm
Happy Birthday ~ glad to hear you had a relaxing day! My dh's birthday is tomorrow, and I'm still not sure what we're doing. I'd better get busy and figure that out!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:24pm

Tomorrow is the last day of school. Then the serious fun begins!

Our dog became petrified of the invisible fence after the first time he got "corrected." We had to pay the invisible fence lady some outrageous fee to come to our house and spend an hour playing with our dog in the yard. I had to listen to her high-pitched baby voice, "Come on honey! Here we go Sweetie!" for an hour and I thought I was going to puke it was so sickly sweet. But we finally got the dog to come out of the house and that sure came in handy. Now our dog doesn't wear the collar but is relatively well-trained about the border.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2004
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 11:39pm

I have never been on a playdate, and have never had DD at a friend's house who has kids her age.

Mondo

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 12:27am
LOL! That almost happened to us last week, but dh made an emergency run to the store.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Wed, 06-08-2005 - 3:02am

YOu can use paper towels as a coffee filter in a pinch.


Or so I've been told ;)

Karen

"A pocketknife is like a melody;
sharp in some places,
flat in others,
and really annoying when it's stuck in your head."

Karen

"A pocketknife is like a melody;
sharp in some places,

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