Operation Bedtime

My friend and her husband wanted to go out for the night on a well deserved date. Their little boy had never been put to bed by someone else up to this point. I accepted the challenge. Before they left they taught be the bedtime routine of reading a fun book then a Book of Mormon story out of the children’s version. Then it was tucked into bed followed by a couple of bedtime songs. A “good night” and then a walk out of room leaving door open a crack , easy. Well, I knew better than that. I have done this before children like to test babysitter and see what they can get away with let alone when it is the first time mom and dad are not putting them to bed. Changes make children worried, they don’t understand why there must be a change and as we as adults know that we don’t even like change this was a big one for my little adopted nephew. I have found that the best way to approach this is firm yet with patience and love. How do you do this well it is easier said then done. We went through the routine and all was sweet and good.  I walked out and he was quiet for a few minutes and I was shocked that he actually did it for me. Yet it was not long till I started hearing whimpering I patiently waited to see if  he would fall asleep after a little while. This was not the case  pretty soon this little boy was calling out my name. It was so sweet that it was hard to ignore I managed it for a bit till his calling of my name became more distressed I went in there and comforted him and talked to him a bit about the fact that he was going to go to bed and mom and dad would be back and come give him a kiss after he was asleep. He calmed right down and I thought we were good to go. Turned out he did best and would lay down and rest if he knew I was in the room so I stayed in the room almost falling a sleep in the rocking chair at one point till he was worried I was not there anymore so I went to his crib and put my hand through the bars and rested it on the bed next to him. This helped him more than anything else. I felt so much love from him as his little fingers stroked my hand.

I understand this is not a realistic approach for every  bedtime routine it was simply the right course of action at this moment with this little boy. Since then bedtime with me have been super smooth, with love and trust in our interactions. Like I have learned so many times from my BYU-Idaho classes, you must treat an average child like this (fill in the blank) when this is taking place (fill in the blank). Yet at the end of almost every lecture the professor would say but each child is different and so you must follow the Spirit.