Time To Sleep

A hyper active A running around in the bed, singing rhymes and refusing to sleep.

Me: Time to sleep, how do you want to sleep?

A: Still running and jumping around in the bed

Me: Can you come to me, please?

A: Yes. (sat on my legs, facing me)

Me: Do you want a bed time story or song? Which story/song do you want? (giving her a few options to choose from)

A: Let's play this game (named one game that we play facing each other)

Me: OK. Next, we shall sleep.

(done with the game)

Me: Now, do you want story or song?

A: Let's play this game (same one played earlier)

Me: Now, do you want story or song?

A: Let's play this game (same one played earlier)

Me: Now, do you want story or song?

A: Let's play this game (same one played earlier)

Me: Now, do you want story or song?

A: Let's play this game (same one played earlier)

Me: OK. Next, we shall sleep.

(done with the game for some good number of times now)

A: Let's play this game (same one played earlier)

Me: Is it night now?

A: Yes, good night time

Me: Did you see the moon?

A: Yes

Me: Did you see the stars?

A: Yes

Me: It is sleeping time, shall we sleep ?

A: Let's play this game (same one played earlier)

Me: Look at me, can I hug you?

A: Yes

A: Now, I will hug you

A: wohooo, I hugged you very tightly !! (gatttiga in telugu)

Me: Yes, yes, you did

Me: It has gotten dark, it is sleeping time, let's sleep now, wake up in the morning and play all new games.

A: Sleeping time, yes

Me: See, you're very tired

A: (leaning over my shoulder)

A: I will kiss you

Me: I will too

A: Let me hug you

A: Sing this song for me

Me: continued with whatever she asked for

A, very quietly slept after a short while.

During this time, it can be noticed that there is a lot of effort in convincing and getting a hyper active kid up to your shoulders. This itself consumes more time than the actual putting-to-sleep process. During this effort, if your child finds you irritating or threatening, the later actual putting-to-sleep process becomes difficult. When she finds you unwelcoming, irritating, it is natural that she tends to move away from you. Threatening a child makes her feel insecure which leads to not wanting to close her eyes how much ever tired she is that ultimately makes her more tired, cranky and difficult to handle.

Dear parent, whenever the child is hyper, it is you who has to calm down and pass on this trait of yours to your child - this is how your child learns behavioural traits from you.