Stall Tactics

Like any child, Ben often doesn't want to go to sleep, and has developed numerous stalling techniques designed to keep him from the indignity of having to go to bed. Most of the time he is satisfied with a few extra hugs but sometimes he pulls out all the stops. This little boy doesn't just ask for things like a drink of water. No, no. This little boy asks for precisely the things he knows we will be most likely to allow. Like, "Hug Dada," and "More, more, more God!" (Wanting to extend his bedtime prayer.)

One night after he was all tucked in he asked for the potty. Not wanting to squelch his recent potty progress, I grudgingly led him out of his bedroom and helped him go. Then we went back to his bed. As soon as he lay down he asked for the potty again. Surely he doesn't really need to go again, I thought to myself. But he had indeed gone the last time, so I thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt. We traipsed back out to the potty and sure enough, he did go... but barely enough to wet a stamp. We made our way back to bed and he asked for the potty yet again. We made the potty pilgrimage more than four times that night. (Okay, it doesn't sound like much, but when you are already sleep deprived and yearning for bed yourself it's hard to be patient with a 2 -year- old who insists on making 4 trips to the potty for 10 drops of pee!) As much as I wanted to tell him to forget about the potty and just go to bed, I knew it would lead to much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Also, Colin and I figured he was surely learning something about bladder control if he was actually trying to hold it in just so he could make more trips.

Last night he added a couple more rituals to his nightly routine. He insisted on washing his hands and applying chapstick. Again, he chose things that are difficult to refuse... I mean, do you know all the places 2 -year -olds put their hands?