Bedtime is exhausting - for parents.
By the time my other half and I have wrestled with our kids, cajoled them, read the thousandth story, sang 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' for another ten minutes and they have finally gone to sleep - we are completely and utterly SPENT.
I was recently so defeated that I crawled straight from their room to ours and fell asleep immediately without so much as checking to see if the front door was locked.
(Newsflash: it was NOT locked).
This is no good for anyone because not only are the kids getting away with murder and ruling the roost, but us poor parents don't get a minute to ourselves or, god forbid, with each other.
Henceforth, I vow to do at least some of the following after the kids have gone to bed:
1. Walk the dog
Poor Pearl. She gets plenty of attention and walks in the mornings after my son gets to school but is completely lost in the bedtime madness. She is most likely as bewildered as we are and in an effort to prevent her from slitting her paws some time in the future, we'll get her a little walkie before we turn in for the night. Fresh air for her and fresh air for one of us - it's a win-win for everyone.
2. Re-set
Despite our best efforts, we are still terrible for leaving everything until the next morning - dishes, lunches, clothes, car seats - from now on, at least ONE thing from that list needs to be organised the night before.
3. Talk
The bedtime routine is such a palaver with the kids that we as a couple spend the bulk of it firing instructions at each other. "Grab some more milk for her bottle!" or "Have you seen the blankie?!" That's about two hours of not having anything resembling a normal conversation with each other. So try to just sit, and talk - not about which bin needs to go out - just, you know, talk.
4. Go quiet
The hustle and bustle of parenting can be all sorts of loud and intense. Take some quiet time after the little ones hit the hay - take a bath, sit and read, listen to some music, meditate - just switch off.
5. Lock the front door
Ahem.
What do you do to unwind after the kids get to bed? Let us know in the Facebook comments.
