Offlimits At Home

2025-08-19

This is kind of a joke but also kind of not. We have started trying to train our oldest child to be sleep in a proper bed. So we retrofitted his crib so that he is able to get in and out of it at will, so bed time has become a mini circus. Before we did this we would change his clothes, brush his teeth, read him three books, sing him two songs, and then plop him in his crib. He would sing to himself for a while and then fall asleep.

But now it has changed, we do all of those things and then hug him and walk out of his room. Even as we are walking out he jumps out of bed and says things like: ‘When are you going to sleep?’ ‘Are you cleaning?’ ‘Don’t go’ etc. And we do have a gate at the top of our stairs so we lock the gate and our oldest child is stuck upstairs. We go downstairs and clean up the dishes, put away toys, fold laundry, etc. But he will often stand at the top of the stairs and call to us: ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Are you going to sleep soon?’

And so I am kind of stuck downstairs right now. If I go upstairs to do something, play video games, read a book, use the restroom, he will be on me like white on rice. ‘Why are you upstairs?’ ‘Where are you going?’ So I plan my nights around only being downstairs until I need to sleep, if I need a laptop or a book I gotta grab it before his bed time. Even now he is calling down to us.

I know this is just a phase, and when it is gone I will miss it. Good night.

-Gary