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NEW HERE? Bedtime Improv

I'm going to share a tip that made me feel like a good mom last night, but right now I feel like a bad mom.  It wasn't a great morning. I say that so you know I have these mornings too. I don't always get these things right. But I know it's worth it to keep trying. 

So.... BEDTIME SUCKS.


It's my least favorite time of day. For the most part, I enjoy my children, but bedtime shenanigans.... I do not.  So when Bryce asked me if I was "good" last night as I was bracing myself for the routine, I decided to override my mood & bring in a better vibe.

When my oldest started ignoring directions & distracting herself, I took on a new persona in a genuine fun tone/voice.

"Oh! You must be new here!! Welcome! We're the Bettmanns! My name is Danielle, I'm your mom! Nice to meet you! Right now it's bedtime, you might not know where everything is so let me give you a tour!"

She gave me crazy looks & laughed, reminding me she's lived here for SIX AND A HALF YEARS. 

"Here's the hallway, this right here is your bedroom, and right across the hall is the bathroom! First, you're going to take a vitamin, then your allergy medicine, then brush your teeth. I'll show you what pajamas are yours so you can choose, and then we'll read a book. We're so glad you're here! Do you have any questions?"

She kept laughing, and then her sister wanted in on the fun too. I walked them around like an ambassador to their new home as they giggled and rolled their eyes at me.

The whole process likely took the same amount of time it always did, but it was so much more fun. Mostly for me! ðŸ˜Ž I kept pushing myself like an improv class to take it to the next level to make them laugh, rather than bark directions over and over like a broken record.

They got such a kick out of imagining what it would feel like to be "new" to a home at their age, so I challenged them to think of when that could be true for kids, and we talked about kids that are adopted later in life, or in the foster care system.  Quick mini teaching moment to expand their worldview in a lighthearted way. 

TRY IT TONIGHT. If not for anything but your own sanity.
Let me know how it goes!

These are the moments that make up their childhood. 

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