Hoping For Six. Seven Would Be Ideal

We're talking time of day here, people. Come on, now.

Sweetie is still getting used to her new nighttime ritual of going to bed on her own, then staying there all night. She has her good nights and her bad. But to date she has earned 14 "bedtime" stickers in about a 3 week period. (She gets one sticker for each night she stays in her own bed all night. She also qualifies for a sticker if she comes to us, but lets us take her right back to her bed - and stays there). So I suppose that's a pretty good record.

Nonetheless, I fear she's getting to feel that the sticker thing is "so over". I think she's not so impressed with the idea of earning those tacky (literally and figuratively) little treats anymore, so I've been racking my brain for new, more exciting ways to conquier this challenge.

Enter - the digital clock. Sweetie's "very own, very special clock" that she helped to pick out at the store just last night.

All last night we hyped up the clock and explained that "when the first number turns into a 6, then you can get out of bed."

We quizzed her. - "If the first number is a 3, can you get out of bed?"
"No."
"What if the first number is a 5?"
"No."
"What happens when the first number is a 6?"
"Then I can wake up!"
"Right! Yay!"
"Okay, so if one of these other numbers is a 6, you can't get up yet. Only the first number. Okay?"
"Okay!"

Then, all of a sudden it's 5:40-something in the morning and Sweetie comes toddling into our room. We say -
"What are you doing here? Is the first number a 6 yet?"
No answer.
Daddy takes her back to her room to look at her clock and point out the time. It happens to be 5:46 a.m. Sweetie indicates that she stood by the clock and waited until she saw the 6 (hubby can't remember exactly what she said).
"You did?!"
"Yeah."
"Well, that's not the right 6. The first number has to be 6, remember?"
"Ooooohhhh."
"Here, get back in bed and wait until the 5 turns into a 6. It's coming soon!"
"Okay!" - and she happily allowed her Daddy to tuck her back in.

I really thought she wouldn't make it. But she did. Past 6:00, actually. I didn't hear her talk to Noki the cat until about 6:02 when Sweetie excitedly informed her that the first number was a 6 and she could get up now. Yay!

I'm interested to see if this clock-watching phenomenon will last and finally teach our Sweetie about staying put until a reasonable hour.

When the weekend hits, we'll have to be sure to remind her that 6 - even better,7 - is the number to watch for. Wish us luck.