We're trying to develop good family habits. Now that we have a nice family dinner table (thanks to a beautiful hand-me-down from Aunt Katie), we try to have everyone eat meals together in the kitchen (rather than in front of the TV - the old norm for us) - when the work schedules permit, we even get to do this for dinner. We also want to say Grace before we eat. We did this twice, holding hands, before Ethan started saying as he sits down "say Grace, we got to say Grace." OK, so we're off to a good start on that habit. So then it comes to the decision - what do you say as Grace that a 3 year old (and younger) can understand and say. So rather than the "Bless us, oh Lord...." or "God is Great..." we mostly use a shortened version we came up with ourselves as Ethan doesn't quite have the attention span to do something long nor can he easily remember it. We start by holding hands (in Alex's case, we hold his high chair tray if we can't reach his hands) and then Ethan looks expectantly at us. He wants to start but needs the first word before he can get it together...here's what we typically say: God, thank you for this food and for keeping us safe today. Amen. So I'll start (looking at Ethan)
Me: "God" Ethan: "God"
Me (or me & Steve): "Thank you for this food" Ethan: "thank you for food"
Me (or & Steve): "and for keeping us safe"
All together: "Today. Amen"
Ethan basically does repeat after me version until the end where he leaves off "and for keeping us safe" and chimes in on "Today, Amen" - really cute.
Now let's review the bedtime routine. As most nights (all but 2 nights a week really) Steve (aka Daddy) is at work at bedtime (which I have somewhat firmly dictated as 8:00pm), this is pretty much my routine. I make Alex a bottle and get Ethan a cup of milk or juice then give Ethan both his and Alex's drinks and he carries them upstairs while I get Alex and carry him or let him crawl up the stairs (depending on how tired he is). I turn on the light and put Alex in his crib with his bottle and he lays right down and takes it - when we first started this process, that part worked until the bottle was empty and then the screaming began. Thankfully, we're over that stage. Then I turn to Ethan - do you need to pee? "No"..."go pee anyway" (all parents know he really had to go and 2 seconds after I leave, he'd come back out and have to go)....Now we're back in his room and he's back in bed having peed cause yes, he did have to. He lays down and we say prayers, similar to dinner - he looks at me expectantly for that first word.
Me: Now I lay me...........................Ethan: Now I lay me
Together: Down to sleep. I pray the Lord (pronouced Yord) my soul to keep. Angels watch me through the night, till I wake with morning light. God Bless Ethan and baby Alex (which used to be pronounced Aggy and is now pronounced Owix), and Mama & Daddy & Amma (Grandma) & Paga (Grandpa) & Nana & all my aunts and uncles and all my cousins and baby pete (the bunny rabbit) and everyone I love, Amen.
Now if he wants to stay up or stretch this, he'll start naming other people, too which usually goes something like this:
Ethan: and Aunt Megan, and Uncle Dermy (Jeremy) and Kenzie &....
Me: and who else
Ethan: and Dackson & Dylan &
Me: & everyone else you love
Ethan: & everyone else I love
Me: Kisses (he gives me kisses - which is sometimes followed by blowing kisses to all those named if he's really not tired enough yet, which thankfully wasn't the case tonight as Mama was tired enough)
Now Ethan has added something new - I'm not sure where he picked it up but if I forget, he's quick to remind me (even if it means coming out of his room to say): You forgot sweet dreams Mom! After kisses on the lips, I have to give forehead kisses and say "sweet dreams" so he can say "sweet dreams, Mom". If I forget to say "thank you baby, I love you, good night" - he repeats himself thinking I didn't hear: I said Sweet Dreams, too, Mom. As I leave and turn off the lights, he's saying "love you too Mom" ... Gotta love that little boy - even if a lot of it is a ploy to stay up even 30 more seconds, it's still so cute I can't stand it.
There has been a time or 2 when he's in trouble and is sent to bed, no tucking in. He will cry a bit and then when he thinks enough time has passed that Mama won't be mad anymore, he comes out saying "we forgot to say pwayers"....so he'll come in here and say them and reluctantly go back to bed. So it seems we're off to a good start on nighttime prayers as well.
She has forgotten to tell te story of self bathing these days. She has began to teach Ethan how to give himself a shower, it is taking a little bit of coaching but as usual he is catching on quickly. He needs a little bit of help to wash his hair but then he rinses it out good. Next I gave him a wash cloth with their soap and told him to wash himself up and I had to tell him what part of the body to wash, he washed his arms all by himself then I told him to wash his armpits he looks at me and ask "what are my armpits?" I showed him and he commensed to wash both of his armpits. then I said wash your pp and so he did and then he washed his legs and feet all by himself. Lastly I said wash your butt and he did then he stood under the "rain" since hes not one to really like a shower but playing in the rain works for him to rinse all off.
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