Tuesday night was an important Date Night because some New Rules went into effect about bedtime at the Stewart Household. I’m sure that you’re thinking that Sydney Marie Stewart wasn’t happy about the crackdown. You’d be right in thinking that. Syd is not a happy camper.
If you’re a lawyer and she’s calling you..DON’T RETURN HER PHONE CALL! I’m sure that she’s going to want you to negotiate with her parents for a later bedtime, more books to read and what she can wear to sleep in….and that’s just for starters!
Frankly, Syd is a tough negotiator having NEGOTIATED for probably nearly EVERY DAY OF HER 3 YEAR OLD LIFE! But she’s facing a united front of adults and that’s going to be hard for her.
Sydney is used to having everyone “UNDER HER SPELL!”
She has a way of either charming you, giving you such ‘spin’ that you’ll fall for whatever she says, her adorable dimples make your common sense disappear, her dazzling smile will make you melt, and if all of that fails she’ll yell as loud as she can crying hysterically with giant tears splashing at the drop of a hat and on top of that she can make the most pitiful face known to man. She used to drop to the floor screaming when she was younger, but she realized that wasn’t working for her. Perhaps, she used it too often…so it quickly lost its effect.
Joe Bill will agree to almost anything that she suggests. I had to tell him: “If Sydney suggests that you help her rob a bank, you MUST say NO!” My guess is that she probably can talk someone else into doing it with her. If Baby James does it, it’s because he’s a baby, but if someone else does it, it’s because they’re “UNDER HER SPELL!”
Under the new House Rules Sydney won’t be able to drag out bedtime anymore. Syd wants us to snuggle with her in bed. She’s just the cutest thing and it’s tempting to snuggle her but once you get in her little bed SHE WON’T LET YOU OUT! YOU’RE TRAPPED!
Baby James’ bedtime remains at 7:30pm but Syd’s is a major change in her life now that her bedtime starts at 7:45pm with the expectation that she’ll be asleep at 8:30pm…that same night!
Sydney is a first class Night Owl. She tries to put off going to bed for as long as she can…mainly by saying : “Just 5 more minutes. Just 5 more minutes.” But there is no more wiggle room for a darling girl who is used to literally and figuratively wiggling her way thru life.
When bedtime came I told her that she could hear 3 stories, not her usual 5. Well, then Syd tried to draw out the time by turning down book after book and story after story. I finally started reading and she reluctantly agreed to the stories I had chosen. When I was ready to get out of her bed, she begged for snuggle time. I kissed her, told her that I love her, but that I couldn’t snuggle her under the new House Rules. I then left the room.
It’s no surprise that Syd came out of her room crying hysterically. I had waited upstairs expecting this to happen. Each time I was sweet to her but firm in telling her that she had to go to sleep alone. Over and over again I told her I loved her and then I’d leave her room. By the 5th time SHE’D actually worn HERSELF down. She’d given 5 Oscar winning performances of a sobbing 3 year old, who was devastated she couldn’t stay up later.
When I’d gotten her back in her bed a couple of times I sat on her couch for a few minutes to help her calm down. Finally, it was beginning to dawn on Syd that I’m more strong willed than she is. So the last time I was in her room she asked: “Can you keep the door open?” I told her that I’d do that for her.
In the art of negotiations, each person needs to come away with some kind of victory. Child Icon Master Negotiator Sydney Marie Stewart deserved to win a concession. Once again, I told her that I loved her and the last time I walked out of her bedroom I left her door open. She was asleep at 8:27pm…3 minutes ahead of her deadline. Yes!
Love, D2
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