I hear a lot of parents say it’s a problem to get their kids in bed, and to keep them there during the night.
As a matter of fact, my nine year old daughter was a perfect example of this. She slept with us for roughly eight months as an infant, and once she moved to her own room it certainly didn’t stop her from reappearing in ours…all the time.
I think half of my insomnia issues come from her dark figure hovering silently over me as I slept. There isn’t much that startles you more than waking from a deep sleep to see someone’s shadowy outline two inches above your face. Because her nightly visits scared the poo out of me, I simply chose to stay awake all night.
But, our son? Well, he’s always a different story. We can’t get him out of bed. AT ALL. He knows he’s allowed, and as a matter of fact we’ve bribed him to do it. But, he won’t. I’m not just talking about middle-of-the-night-need-to-go-to-the-bathroom stuff either, he won’t even budge once the sun comes up.
Instead, he will lie in bed and read or play. If he has to go to the bathroom, he will call me. In the morning, I yell upstairs for him to come down. It is only then that he will emerge from his lair.
I would like nothing better than for him to get out of bed and go downstairs to watch cartoons with his sister, while I get to sleep in on a Saturday morning. Who has to beg their six year old to watch Tom and Jerry and eat sugary cereal when Mom’s not around? I do.
We have taken away computer games, TV, and the Wii, but it’s still not working. The other day, he spent all his free time playing with my laundry basket.
Tonight he doesn’t get to take books or toys with him to bed, which means he won’t have anything to play with when he wakes up.
Though with my luck, he’ll probably be just as happy talking to the wall…and since he’s making me looney I might just join him.
Boys and girls, please tell me…what do your kids do that makes you crazy?
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the planet of janet
hmmm. i’m thinkin’ this isn’t such a bad thing, really.
at least he’s not wandering around getting into mischief in the middle of the night!
Mrs. Schmitty
I agree with Janet. If I hear my little one up, I have to get up too because LORD knows what she’s getting in to.
Ed (zoesdad)
I’n not quite sure I understand the dilemma. But then again, it’s been a long day, I’m tired and I just got the kids to bed…
Crap! They’re up. Gotta go.
Jozet at Halushki
What do my kids do that make me crazy?
Whoo boy, do you have a few hours? 😉
But yes, the one that does freak me out every time is waking from a dead sleep to have a small nose and eyes two inches from my face.
Aunt Debbi/kurts mom
One time, the lurking toddler had a sore throat causing a gravely voice. He said “MAMA” in a voice that sounded like a sixty-year-old smoker. I woke up yelling “I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER.” Not my best mommy moment.
Pinky
Momo, what do they do that DOESN”T drive me crazy?
I honestly believe that they held a caucus a long time ago and decided that their goal was to drive me insane…to the point of me running down the street naked, but with socks on, and my hair a crazy color. I’m more than half way there….
Dapoppins
They pick their noses.
All the time.
Sometimes they lick and pick.
No matter what I say, or do.
And we won’t talk about playing with the other stuff…all the time. And I don’t even mean serious playing…just the kind of moving it around to make sure it’s still there kind of playing…
I won’t talk about it.
I am kinda sorry I did.
But all boys do it….at least, please, tell me it isn’t just my boys.
And then there is when my daughter sits on her head…at the dinner table. Or takes her shoes off in the car right before we arrive somewhere…
Stella
My three year old, the one who basically owns my bed now, likes to get up in the morning hit the computer for a bit, watch some tv and then take off his pull up, stand next to my husband’s side of the bed and inform us that he needs to us the potty. The one that is 10 feet away from where he is standing. The past three times he’s ended up peeing on the floor!! Drives me NUTS!
My 1 year old doesn’t like to get out of bed, either. I can just lay her there with her dolls, sometimes her bink, and she’s content for more than an hour!
Little scary….
Ricardo Bueno
I don’t know what to tell ya because I don’t have kids of my own… I do have a younger brother. Growing up, I was always up and outta bed at a moments notice. He was the one that stayed in bed no matter what. I can’t say why, but I’ll ask him since that habit of his is long gone 🙂
Jamie E
One will ask me a question, I answer, then the next one asks the same question and on and on…..even the 18month old is starting to do it. It makes me effing explode!!!!!!
Emery Jo
my son does the exact same thing!! He refuses to get out of bed on his own in the morning, and he won’t go to the bathroom on his own at night.
The one thing that has worked for us is, after he falls asleep for the night, we open his door all the way. Something about seeing the wide open door when he wakes up lures him out of his room on his own.
Maybe that could work for you too?
Heather
My daughter is 14 and does a lot of goofy stuff. But the thing that bothers me is when she talks to me like I’m nothing more than some dog poop on her shoe she needs to scrape off, and she can barely even force herself to deign to speak to me.
The Laundress
For us it’s not getting IN bed or staying in bed…it’s the nighttime routine BEFORE bed.
Why does it take so friggin’ long to brush your teeth, wash your hands and go to the bathroom??????
We fight (I yell) every night.
Lisa@verybusymomwith4
I have to say I would not mind my kids staying in bed–mine are up with the sun and wanting breakfast as they as ‘starving’ 😉
Mama Dawg
Oh, man, what a loaded question.
I guess the safe answer is that she leaves her dishes everywhere BUT the kitchen sink. We’re working on that, though.
Kori
Just lately, all it takes for my kids to drive me crazy is to breathe. I wish I were kidding. I wish my two year old would stop getting out if his bed in the middle of the night. Satruday morning? Two am? Bag of Doritos and two year poking me on the chest saying “movie.”
chefmom
OH, the dreadful night waking!! My Daughter used to do the same thing to my husband, but whisper loudly, “DAD”, 2 inches from his face. WHat makes me nuts? The fact that my 8 year old knows exactly WHAT buttons to push, to get her almost 3 year old brother screaming aout anything and everything. He then storms off to his room and SLAMS the door!! Wonder where he got that from?!
Xbox4NappyRash
They don’t get conceived.
Drives me bloody demented that does!
LiteralDan
The list of things that my kids do to annoy me is probably more a blog post (or series of posts) than a comment, so I’ll spare you.
But more importantly, can you send your son over to train my daughter?
Jodi
Recently Jakob started sporting this really annoying laugh. We wondered where he picked it up. Then this weekend in the truck he did it again and said “Just like Tyler laughs!” Tyler is the annoying neighbor kid that I can’t stand! Jakob then proceeded to laugh like that for the rest of the afternoon, probably cause he knows I can’t stand it or it’s originator!
Tara R.
My boy is a pack rat. He’ll keep old broken pens he found in a parking lot, a cool rock, rusted screws, anything and everything. I typically find it when I do the laundry, even if I’ve checked all his pockets. A lone piece of debris will find it’s way to the bottom of my washer.
Angie
Oh boy, what DON’T my kids do that drives me crazy? lol! Well, my 4 yo likes to do this whine/squeal/yell thing whenever he isn’t happy with something, and sometimes when he is happy. The noise GRATES on me! like nails on a chalkboard! And my 9 yo, well, he thinks it’s just wonderful making his 4 yo brother make that noise! UGH!
musing
Me: I told you not to get up on the table.
Child: You said not to sit on the table, you didn’t say I couldn’t stand on it.
Me: Okay, no sitting or standing on the table. Now what do you think you’re doing??
Child: You didn’t say I couldn’t jump on it…
Jaina
Oh goodness. I bet my mom wishes she could get my brothers to stay in bed playing quietly.
And Musing-that’s hilarious, I can just picture such an exchange
holly
opposite end of the spectrum. mine will start shouting for us to come get him before he’s even awake! how the hell does he do that? and the dodi (pacifier) is starting to drive me insane. but he will not release it wihtout shouting until we give in (which is hours. we are tough, but he’s tougher.)
i love the boy to bits, but if he’d have been first, he’d have been only. thank BOB the girl came first. oh yes, the girl who does not let ANYTHING pass without remarking. oy VEY. children!
ah but they’re cute.
when they’re sleeping.
meleah rebeccah
“he’ll probably be just as happy talking to the wall…and since he’s making me looney I might just join him.”
That cracked me up, into fits of laughter. I was picturing you gone looney and talking to a wall.
My son (age 12) stays in his room. All The Time. I love it. Mostly because he is at the age where I am not too sure I want to know what he’s doing in there.
Amy
Umm, Everything?
My littlest one is constantly out of bed every night. She has never been a good sleeper, she’s 4 now. That’s probably why I’m so damn tired all of the time!
Sogeshirtsguy
Sounds like me I hate getting out of bed. Those kids of mine they sure do all sorts of awful things. Good thing they are imaginary… for now (I do want kids someday or maybe kid lol)
Manager Mom
These kids, they just LOVE to push to the extremes. My son is a crack of pre-dawner. He’s a 5:30 man. That drives me crazy, right there.
The girl child, she’s a tapper. She touches and pokes and taps and taps and taps and JUST WON’T STOP TAPPING.
Uh, is that enough for one comment?
melissa
wanna trade kids? my 4 year old won’t stay in his bed. i’ll trade you mine for yours. k?
Melisa
They don’t clean up after themselves as much as I would like (they’re 13 and 16, so I expect more than I would from a 5-year-old…). Drives me NUTS.
Sadia
Since I don’t have to live with your son, I find his adoration for his bed, well, adorable.
Right now, my two-year-olds are driving me nuts with how they answer questions. Melody answers every question with “I don’t know,” and Jess with, “‘Cause.” Then they think about it, and come up with a real answer.
Me: “Where’s your bear”
Melly: “I don’t know. Um. In the car!”
Me: “Would you like more pineapple?”
Jessie:”‘Cause. Um. No, thank you.”
MommySpeak
My son is in a wicked bad mommy phase right now. He clinges to me like anything. It was cute at first but now it is driving me INSANE!!!
Kimmylyn
My three year old won’t sleep in his own bed..wanna trade?