Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The kid must really hate chicken...

Tonight was the first night Wyatt was sent to bed without stories, rocking, and songs. It was really his choice, I suppose. He finally decided to eat a second piece of chicken at dinner like we had asked. Then proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes chewing it amidst our numerous requests to just swallow it already. The cheeky smiles and little faces were quite hilarious, and I really had to try hard not to laugh in front of him. (I think in hindsight it would have made a GREAT youtube video, but then he would have known we were amused by it...right?) I know he was being defiant on purpose, but really, it was one of those times where I wanted to congratulate him on his perseverance and stubborness. Yep, I was actually PROUD. ;)

It became quite apparent that he was using it as a stall tactic to stay up later, so I gave him the option of going to bed without stories and songs, or swallowing the chicken. After more waiting around, I sent him to bed (without brushing his teeth...I know, the horror!), and he willingly went, with the tiny piece of chewed up chicken still in his mouth. I didn't want him to think I was still mad at him, so a few minutes later I went in and gave him a hug and a kiss, and told him goodnight. And I still smelled the chicken in his mouth. Not wanting him to fall asleep with food in his mouth (or find it later, wiped all over his sheets, a more likely outcome), I let him spit it into my hand.

I just wish he would have decided to swallow it. I really missed reading and singing to/with him at night, it is my favorite part of the day. Sigh. Stubborn guy. ;)

ETA: He is chattering up a storm right now. I just went by his room and he is singing the songs we usually sing to himself. :)

2 comments:

Mountain Mama said...

It's dawned on me recently how close we are to Zach's foray into complete independence. He doesn't cry anymore when we leave the room to run downstairs or tend to something else for a moment. And where this used to drive me absolutely batty, I was suddenly so sad to know it no longer made a difference to him. Likewise, a few nights in a row we put him to bed & left the room before he fell asleep b/c he was just playing around in his crib. Where we expected him to start crying & carrying on like he usually does when we don't stay by his crib side, we didn't hear a peep out of him. He just went to sleep.

I was devastated. How ridiculous is THAT?

(Wyatt is too cute, btw. Aren't boys fun?)

jasmine said...

It might be creepy that I plan on reading my son and rocking my son to sleep until he is forty, eh?