Being sick has messed up Ian’s bedtime routine. The last few nights he gets up multiple times after we tuck him in. Sometimes he wants another drink. Other times he just “has to tell me something”. The “something” is usually something cute, like “I love you, Mommy!” but still it’s just a stall tactic to stay up longer

He has a lock on his door, but the lock is turned around so we can lock him in his room. We used it when we first moved him out of his crib into a big bed. We tried for weeks and weeks to get him to stay in his bed. It took us hours each night. It might sound kind of cruel, but after trying every tactic we could think of, we decided to turn his lock around. We almost never use it now. But, the other night I was having a hard time getting him to stay in his room. We talked about it, and after the third time, I told him that if he came out again I was going to lock his door.

Of course, he came out again. I calmly picked him up and carried him back to bed. I tucked him in and I locked his door. He immediately started banging on his door. He got out his Wiggles guitar and used that to bang on his door. I went in and took it away from him. Next, he got out the Mr. Potato head. I heard him pick it up and start talking to it.

“I’m sorry Mr. Potato head. Don’t be mad at me. I just have to do this to you.”

Then he proceeded to bang it on the door. I listened to him and couldn’t help but smile. It was so cute to hear him talk to the Mr. Potato head and apologize before he proceeded to smash it against the door. What a sensitive little guy!