Bedtime Shenanigans
It’s quite the process to get the three littlest kids in bed. Scriptures, family prayer, brush teeth, potty, personal prayer, a song for each little, kisses … and sometimes a few shenanigans thrown in there. Lately it has been the glow sticks/necklace. Tru loves to sleep with something that glows. Flashlights are way to expensive to run overnight. A snap glow stick loses it’s life after a night. So, we bought re-energizable glow sticks. We recharge them by the light before bed. Tru especially likes the necklace that can be swung around (far from other people, mind you) to create a distress signal.
Personal Prayers are turning into a lengthy procedure. We encourage Tru to say 5 special things. Max always wants to say new things and when he’s feeling special inside, he says that Heavenly Father helps him know what to say.
The bedtime songs as of late are Latter-day Prophets. Tru picks that one every time. And then every night Max is sad that Tru picked it instead of him. Sometimes we sing it twice. Usually Max picks another favorite, Nephi’s Courage (the 3rd verse) of Families can Be Together Forever. Liza always picks I love to see the Temple. Then she insists on staying up another 30 minutes and going to bed after the boys are asleep. This is our nightly routine. And then I sigh…
Takes a lot of energy to help kids to bed! I remember having a threshold and not being able to deal with any more shenanigans some nights. Now I miss it. Kids still like being tucked in and/or hugged good night. And as our kids wind down at night they (mostly Mae) help us gather for scriptures and family prayer. Good family traditions and togetherness. I love what you all do!!
It must take an hour, at least, to get all your kids to bed! It takes us a good 30 plus minutes. Sometimes we have to have two prayers because both kids want to say the bedtime prayer. Then there is story time, for each kid! Then there’s hugs and kisses time, which takes forever! We should really start around 7pm to actually get them into bed by the time they are supposed to be in bed. Bedtime is Chris’s least favorite time of the day. lol :)