Note: There's some hopeful news over at MSO - talks are going on as we speak, with the Mamas trying to figure out how to keep the site up in one form or another. Yay! Fingers crossed - we'll get an update soon!
Until then, I'm going to continue on with my Mama Mondays as usual. If you'd like to join me, and/or have theme words to offer up, please do so/let me know.
As for today - the theme is:
Door
What a great word to start off my New, Independent, Mama Monday?! I'm opening the door to all new possibilities - for myself and anyone else who'd like to join in! Let's boldly and bravely walk through together, shall we?
"Door" is also a highly appropriate word for me to expound upon because there happens to be a particular door in our house that is someday - possibly very soon - going to deliver me right into insanity. Ugh!
See, Sweetie's bedroom is really more like a 2-room suite. You enter her main door and you're immediately in her play room. Then, off to the right, is another door which is the door to her actual bedroom. It's really a great space and one of the best things we loved about this house.
So, every night when we put Sweetie to bed and say goodnight, we always close the outermost playroom door, but leave her bedroom door open. We do this to keep Sweetie's room as quiet as possible while she falls asleep.
Then, when Hubby and I go to bed, we open the playroom door for the remainder of the night.
We open this door at this time for a number of reasons. Firstly - the left corner of her playroom leads to the upstairs bathroom. We like to have all access open to said bathroom for all household members throughout the night. This is especially important due to Hubby and my dark and sleepy and (in my case) leg-braces-less 2 a.m. bathroom treks. It just makes good, safe sense to leave that door open.
Secondly, we open the door because, if Sweetie needs us during the night, we're much better able to hear her when she calls.
However - Sweetie has become just a wee bit obsessed (insert major sarcasm here) with the nighttime state of her playroom door and this has led to several bedtime and middle-of-the-night stern discussions.
It started when, for some unknown reason, Sweetie decided that whoever put her to bed had to close that door really really loudly!
Okay - I suppose I get it. She likes to hear the door close as part of her routine and to know she's safe and sound in her room. Fine. Whatever.
But then she got more and more insistent - demanding that we go so far as slam the door closed every night.
Here we go with stern talking to #1 (repeated several times, by the way, because Sweetie's memory in this department is lacking).
No! We will NOT slam the door. This is an old house and slamming door hurts the house. We do not hurt the house! And people only slam doors when they're angry and we don't want to put you to bed angrily every night. No slamming the door! We'll close it loud enough so you hear it, but that is it. End of discussion.
Okay, fine. That's more or less resolved (finally).
Then she started in with her occasional middle-of-the-night wake-up calls.
Whatever her initial problem is in these cases is generally pretty mild and easily calmed. BUT - then Hubby or I go back to our room - leaving Sweetie's playroom door open.
This, very unfortunately, leads to more desperate cries for us to come back and close her door - and loudly, at that!
Here we go with stern talking to # 2 (repeated several times, by the way, because Sweetie's memory in this department is lacking)
At these times we have to go in, explain (again!) why the door is to remain open in the nighttime, and that we will NOT be closing it for her. The end.
Now, you may be saying to yourself - what's the big deal? Just close the dang door and move on!
But - see - we've tried that too. And it only seems to lead to her very regular middle-of-the-night wake up calls and insistence that the door is closed. Cranky, all-hyped-up insistence about the status of the door. And we're just not going to accept that. Period.
Now - knock on a lot of wood - things seemed to have finally settled down concerning the door. As I've done with other "issues" Sweetie needs to learn and accept - I've made The Door Status a family rule.
What's the family rule Sweetie?
No fighting about food.
And? What about the door?
No slamming the door ever.
And? How is the door in the nighttime?
Open so that, if I have a problem and call you, you can hear me.
You betcha - that's right!
After all this - please - for the love of everything - let that be the end of the Door Wars.
Otherwise, I truly am going to lose my ever-lovin' mind - right out the door!
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