Once you tell the kids it is bedtime they suddenly have every excuse in the world to avoid heading to sleepy time!

• “I’m hungry” or “I’m thirsty”- Of course the little monster has had dinner and ample amount of glasses of milk however they are pleading to for a bowl of cereal as they couldn’t possibly go to bed on an empty stomach.
• “I’m not tired”- Not many kids will admit to being tired and most will try stay awake for as long as they can, and do everything to keep themselves awake. Singing, talking to themselves and shouting are all preferred methods of keeping oneself awake and kids do them all over and over!
• “I didn’t get to play today”- Once you mention the B (bed) word youngsters will remember everything they wanted to do but unfortunately they are about 3 hours late. So they wanted to go to the park, paint and make a few finger puppets, well guess what Sugar you didn’t do these things early enough and chose to make jigsaws which isn’t my fault!
• “I got to go pee pee!”- You have finally managed to get the little one up the stairs, into bed and tucked them all in perfectly and in one sentence the calmness is ruined. A trip to the loo should be easy enough but with a nipper avoiding bedtime it is a catastrophe, he/she may spend ages on the toilet then have to thoroughly wash their hands (we thougth them well!) and then finally calling you to be tucked in again.
• “It’s too bright to be bedtime”- In the summer it is bright in the evenings till late but try explaining that to a young kiddie, sure you can darken the room but this smart tot knows it is still essentially day time and is planning his escape from the bedroom.
• “I never told you my funny story”- You have been with your little one all /most of the day, and between playing and the T.V they haven’t had too much to say to you but now while all ready for bed it is the time to talk!
• “I didn’t say goodnight to the dog, cat and all my stuffed animals!”- It would be incredibly rude to head off to the land of nod without saying “goodnight” to the pets of the house and all of the teddies in your child’s room! Better still give them all a cuddle, a kiss and maybe then you will feel comfortable going to sleep as you wouldn’t want to upset the teddies now would you?
• “My leg/arm hurts”- Bedtime comes and it dawns of your child that they aren’t feeling the may west, and are moaning while limping to bed. It is fine when you want to bounce on the trampoline but not when you are to go and lie down in bed-go figure?!!