Delaying Bedtime

It's hard to believe that my little guy will only be three in two months. He is a generous conversationalist. And I mean that he has really learned that holding a conversation with mommy at bedtime is a good way to delay having to actually go to sleep. Alas, he has also determined now that he is pretty much potty-trained that saying you have to go potty is another great delay tactic. Because of course, I'm not going to tell him "too bad, you just went potty, stay in bed." No, I have to say, "Okay, let's go potty."

I think he has mastered bladder control. Because he went potty right before bedtime and 45 minutes later, he magically had to go again -- and he went. Now, part of this can be attributed to the fact that daddy let him drink a big glass of milk right before bedtime, but the other could be that he went "just enough" at bedtime so that he could use this trick later.

On another side note -- we've mastered his "I have to go" signals and have now become champs at ensuring there are no accidents. Of course when it comes to #1, he's all over it. It's just the whole #2 delay. But all I have to watch for is a slightly perplexed look and the beginnings of a squat and I become supermom - racing to the potty. The kid has complete control -- he waits until we get to the toilet (be it across IKEA or just up the stairs) so I know he knows what he's supposed to do. I think he just gets pleasure out of seeing the small look of urgency appear on my face.

He's final tactic to delaying bedtime at the moment is asking for daddy to come upstairs and give him a hug. And of course, D cannot deny him this small pleasure. And it doesn't matter that daddy gave him a hug goodnight before we went upstairs, brushed our teeth and read our story. But again, the master manipulator has successfully extended the bedtime routine by at least 45 minutes on nights that he has chosen to deploy all the tactics.

All I can do now is practice my interviews when he becomes someone famous and I can embarrass him with his toddler manipulating genius!