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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ever hug a Big Toe

Bedtime has always been so easy at our house, of course that changed a bit when our Radish came home, but overall it has still been fairly easy. This is one of her favorite times to rage but doesn't happen often. I know so many of you struggle nightly with bedtime routines, I am counting my blessings. Tonight she was not wanting to 'obey' she was wanting to 'fight' and I didn't have it in me. My husband has been out of town and I am tired. Instead of screaming and losing my cool which would have been so easy to do (at least for the moment) I made the conscience decision to be silly. Not crazy, which is so mush easier for me.
Wow, silly worked! And worked well.
I leaned down in her bed to hug and kiss her goodnight like I do every night. Sometimes this is when she chooses to kick me or shove me. She had not laid down yet and hugged my arm. Seriously child....hugging my arm.....that is not how we hug in our family, nor has she ever done that before. I knew it was just one more stick poking thing she was trying to send me over the edge with. But I chose SILLY and said with a little giggle "Wow, that felt different.....I wonder how it would feel hugging my big toe?" and proceeded to bring my foot up on her bed. She laughed and said "Gross, why would I want to do that?" To which I responded with a big smile "I don't know, you seemed to enjoy hugging my arm instead of me...thought you might like hugging my big toe too"
She made eye contact, smiled and lunged toward my torso for a real hug. Doing a little nanny-nanny-boo-boo dance in my brain.
Blow up, fight, struggle....all gone. Left the room with smiles on both of our faces tonight as I closed her door. Rejoicing in the little things :-)

3 comments:

  1. My daughter and husband do that dance often at bedtime. She tells him she doesn't want a hug, he acts all sad and starts to leave then she lunches for a giant hug. Sometimes they need the dance instead of just accepting what they want in the first place.

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  2. I love it when I remember to be silly and it works. We have had some great bonding moments when I least expected it.

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