Bribery!!!

I don't bribe my kids with a lot of things.  I only bribe when I'm desperate it is important and warranted.

I take complete responsibility for my oldest's bedtime routine.  Cutter is a cuddler, he loves to cuddle and I took full advantage of it when a) he was the only child b) he was the only child and c) he was the only child!  I loved that he loved to cuddle / be rocked to sleep when he was an only child, but since Gracie has been born I've been kicking myself for not being more structured in his bedtime routine.  Our bedtime routine has gone from me or daddy rocking him to sleep and laying him down in his crib to laying in his big boy bed, waiting for him to fall asleep and then sneaking out.  I tell myself that he is only little once and enjoy it, but that way of thinking won't help when I'm trying to move Gracie to her big girl bed.  Gracie doesn't like to snuggle at bedtime and likes to be laid down and most of the time goes right to sleep, oh how I wish it was that easy with my eldest!

22 month later...and we are still laying down with Cutter, BUT Gracie needs to transition to a big girl bed and Daddy can't be in both places when Mommy is gone.  Everything I've ever done with Cutter has been cold turkey - he went cold turkey on the bottle, cold turkey out of diapers, and cold turkey moving into a big boy bed, but falling asleep on his own just hasn't been easy for him, so enter the bribery...

We were at Wal-Mart last week and Cutter begged asked if he could have this little tykes picnic table.  We told him no, but that he could earn it.  So for the last week we have been talking about him being a big boy and going to sleep on his own, he hasn't been too keen on the idea, but I've been persistent!  So, tonight we took the plunge and started our countdown!  Hopefully, Cutter will fall asleep in his bed ever night for the next week and when we get down to ZERO, we will go buy him the picnic table of his dreams! (no pun intended!)

I'll keep you updated...