Friday was Canada Day…a day of crowds, music, celebrations and fireworks. D and I had talked about it for a few weeks and decided that, since it was a special occasion, we would keep The Girl up well past her usual 7:30 bedtime and take her downtown for the fireworks display at 10:30. This marks the first time we have significantly broken her bedtime routine since she started sleeping in her own room a year ago.
I have to say, the bedtime routine has worked wonders for us. We are adamant that we stick to it…snack at around 6:45, bath at 7:00 with the same piece of soft music playing in the background, stories at 7:30, bit of a nurse at around 7:45 and wham, she’s out. It’s clockwork, and D and I have the evenings to ourselves. We have friends who keep their daughter up until they go to bed at 10 or 11, and we don’t know how they do it. Both of us love the evening time to catch up on our work, housework, and each other.
Because of this regimented bedtime routine, we were both curious, and a bit wary, as to how The Girl would handle staying up late in a strange environment (downtown outside with crowds around) with fireworks going off. We wondered whether or not we were doing the right thing.
I’m glad to say all went well. The Girl loved it. We hooked up with some other couples who had kids around her age, so she had a couple playmates. We found a great spot where they could safely run around. And, when the fireworks came, she was gleeful. After they ended, she asked for more. She even managed to stay awake in the car ride home (avoiding the dreaded car transfer that I have yet to consistently master), and we were able to tuck her into bed at midnight, where she had a great night sleep.
The nice benefit of the routine is that The Girl has bounced right back into it. For the past 2 nights, she has settled back into her regular sleep patterns without a hitch.
Ah, bedtime routines – magic.
