<![CDATA[One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime.]]>One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. In fiction, it is a lovely bedtime story, a smile and a soft kiss good-night.
In reality, it’s an hour of anxious going back-and-forth, telling your kid to go back to bed, no-it’s-not-play-time, asking for mom, asking for dad, losing a pacifier, i-just-want-some-water, and when the kid is finally asleep you feel like you just led a war campaign.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/75497189-e30c-44d1-a4ed-b177116de501/one-of-the-most-misrepresented-aspects-of-parenthood-is-bedtime.RSS for NodeFri, 18 Sep 2026 16:48:53 GMTMon, 24 Aug 2026 18:03:27 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:26:16 GMT]]>@kudra @juliette "Sign in to confirm your age" 😞

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://en.osm.town/users/mdione/statuses/117156608523718915https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://en.osm.town/users/mdione/statuses/117156608523718915Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:26:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:39:13 GMT]]>@dekompozycja there is a long list of things I considered nuts before being a parent, and now think "yes, I would absolutely do this", and a missing poster for a plushie is definitely on it.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/juliette/statuses/117156187575299407https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/juliette/statuses/117156187575299407Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:39:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:38:05 GMT]]>@juliette We got hidden extra GingerbreadMan whom my son loves, but we cannot buy new PumPum as it's 30+yrs old plushie that my husband got from thrift store when he was a child. When PumPum got lost for a week at daycare we were this close to printing posters "Missing PumPum"...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.com.pl/users/dekompozycja/statuses/117156183122496944https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.com.pl/users/dekompozycja/statuses/117156183122496944Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:38:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:27:09 GMT]]>@dekompozycja and you find yourself hating Pumpum for both existing and not existing at the same time, and considering buying an identical dupe of every single plushie in the household in case of loss.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/juliette/statuses/117156140150315207https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/juliette/statuses/117156140150315207Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:27:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:22:16 GMT]]>@smsm1 our hobbit is at the developmental stage where they are old enough to get out of bed, put the lights on and play, but not old enough to understand what I mean when I say "bedtime means bedtime". so we have had a few difficult evenings.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/juliette/statuses/117156120889805843https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/juliette/statuses/117156120889805843Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:22:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:41:17 GMT]]>@juliette I went through a challenging phase with both of mine and still do some days. Once in bed and done with the routine of the get up for anything other than the toilet or a drink of water from a water bottle, I'd pick them up and place them back in bed and calmly say "good night" then stand outside their room and do it again about a dozen times until they got bored with it. Didn't happen often after that.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/smsm1/statuses/117154072347918159https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/smsm1/statuses/117154072347918159Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:41:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:54:38 GMT]]>@juliette I do remember bad nights closer to 2-4yo, but it was mostly me; I was anxious for them to go to sleep, and they feel that.

Of course, each family is its own thing, I mention these just in hope it can help you or someone else.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://en.osm.town/users/mdione/statuses/117152945206814243https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://en.osm.town/users/mdione/statuses/117152945206814243Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:54:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:52:46 GMT]]>@juliette TBH I'm not sure what we did, but it has been for a long time (for a 9,7 pair) that it's story time, some kisses, then lights out. A few things I can mention:

* out of parent's bedroom at 3mo old.
* fall asleep first with us by the bed, then by the door, then from afar (but still hear each other).
* read the story on the bed (laying down helps with sleepiness; I saw a friend reading stories on a teepee before going to bed).
* teach them to relax (deep breaths, loose all muscles).

1/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://en.osm.town/users/mdione/statuses/117152937842764943https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://en.osm.town/users/mdione/statuses/117152937842764943Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:52:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:07:24 GMT]]>@tokeriis @juliette We're probably going to have another rounds of evening drama with our daughter πŸ˜€

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117027614228263338/statuses/117152051674052148https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117027614228263338/statuses/117152051674052148Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:07:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:53:56 GMT]]>@marty49 @juliette Good on you, we still have daily negations with our 10-year old. πŸ˜΅β€πŸ’«

On the other hand, the younger one (now 6) has found a routine similar to yours.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://helvede.net/users/tokeriis/statuses/117151998678272134https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://helvede.net/users/tokeriis/statuses/117151998678272134Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:53:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:45:30 GMT]]>@juliette very much yes. And when you think it's over, they lay down in bed, and one remembers "where is my pumpum" and you frantically start to look everyfuckingwhere for one of the plushies that today is the necessary one to fall asleep, but nobody remembers where it is.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.com.pl/users/dekompozycja/statuses/117151965555941870https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.com.pl/users/dekompozycja/statuses/117151965555941870Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:45:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:27:02 GMT]]>@juliette bedtime is a silent tax on your time and sanity as a parent.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/McNeely/statuses/117151892955670809https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/McNeely/statuses/117151892955670809Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:27:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:18:38 GMT]]>@juliette A little of Column A and bit of Column B

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://m.ai6yr.org/users/camless/statuses/117151859885817601https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://m.ai6yr.org/users/camless/statuses/117151859885817601Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:18:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:16:34 GMT]]>@juliette ugh yeah. Sleep has been a fight from day one here. We got very strict with the routine, and after maybe 3.5 - 4 years old, things settled down. Now, at nearly 9 years old, bedtime is the most enjoyable part of many days.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.tchncs.de/users/lizzard/statuses/117151851773369053https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.tchncs.de/users/lizzard/statuses/117151851773369053Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:16:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to One of the most misrepresented aspects of parenthood is bedtime. on Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:07:14 GMT]]>@juliette That's how it was with our son from about 1.5 to 4 years old, but now we have a bedtime routine that works reliably every day: reading a book, then an audio fairy tale from my phone, and our son is guaranteed to fall asleep. Fortunately πŸ™πŸ˜€

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117027614228263338/statuses/117151815105549747https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117027614228263338/statuses/117151815105549747Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:07:14 GMT