2 boys. 2 bedrooms. 2 beds. {ding.ding} Let The Fight Begin

Since moving into our house 2 1/2 years ago (Buck-a-roo was almost 2 and Frank-o was 6 months), our boys have shared a bedroom allowing for the 3rd bedroom of our 3-bedroom house to reserved for a guest room. It is also important for me to note here before I get too in depth with this post, that we made the ultimate, uber mistake (in my opinion) in child-rearing by rocking our infants to sleep, as they got older allowing them to fall asleep in the living room with us and laying them in their beds, and granting them the opportunity to sleep in our bed almost nightly. Which brings me to our current situation that we now have a 4 year old and a 3weeks-shy-of-turning 3 year old that do not sleep through the night, do not fall asleep in their beds, and cannot put themselves to sleep AT ALL.

rewind.......

Remember last week, when I mentioned that Daddy Buck and I were re-staging our house for sale while also mildly adapting our boys to the idea of having their own rooms in our new home....we did away with the guest room and seperated the boys into two bedrooms.


fast forward......

They were thrilled and DID (using our old bedtime routine and "falling asleep" methods) sleep in their VERY OWN rooms for the vast majority of the first night. As if this wasn't enough adjustment, I have decided it is time to alter the nighttime/naptime routine to include falling asleep in their own beds and since I can't magicaly split myself down the middle into two people to remain with them at their bedside, this means "falling asleep" alone in their own beds in their own rooms.

stay with me.......

Day ONE of this new-found idea....TODAY!! Frank-o was home with me today running a fever (and running wild) and Buck-a-roo had his End of the Year party at school today. All this equals...the three of us at home for naptime. New plan begins at 11:45am (same general time that they nap at school). I lay them each down(after potty-ing), kiss them, tell them it's naptime (after much prep talk beforehand), and tell them I will see them after their naps.

{ding.ding}
In this corner room we have ~~ The Negotiator (aka Buck-a-roo). he's 42 pounds of "I'll do this ___________, if you let me ___________"!!

{ding.ding}
And in the other corner room~~ The Name-Caller (aka Frank-o). he's 36 pounds of "Mommy, you're mean" and "You're not the boss of me"!!

and they're off.......

"I'm not tired" "I need to potty" "I need water" "I need to potty" "I'm not gonna close my eyes, I'm just gonna rest" "IF I COME IN THIS ROOM ONE MORE TIME, I WILL TAKE YOUR NEW FISHING GAMES AWAY" {fishing games gone} {crying} "I need you to lay with me" "I need to potty" "THE NEXT PERSON THAT GETS OUT OF THEIR BED WILL NOT PLAY OUTSIDE THIS AFTERNOON" {crying} "I don't need a pillow" "I need covers" "Is it time to wake-up yet" "YOU WILL STAY IN YOUR ROOM UNTIL YOU NAP, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALL AFTERNOON, AND EVENING UNTIL DADDY GETS HOME" "I'm hungry" {crying}

update............

It's now 12:42. Frank-o is asleep-down for the count-out snug as a bug-TKO'd after me putting him in the bed at least 43 times. Buck-a-roo is in the living room over my shoulder blowing his nose for the 14th time and I am about to put him back in his bed, for oh say, the 53rd time.

I (we) have failed them miserably in this department and have caused ourselves 4+ years of sleepless nights. I am ready for that to come to a screeching halt. It will *stink* for me if we are stuck indoors this afternoon on this 75 degree bright sunshiny day because I have to follow-through with my threat for 'NO afternoon outdoor play' if Buck-a-roo does not fall asleep soon. I will not back down now!!

"GET IN YOUR BED SON!!!!"

Round 1......

goes to MOMMY!!!! After me standing in his door, arms crossed, for 13 seconds so he would not step foot out of his bed again, Buck-a-roo is the second TKO of the afternoon.