Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You remain firm and consistent.
This is the real-life decision Mitchell would choose. "My
decision was that the children should go to bed at a reasonable time, and
that once in bed, they should stay there," he says.
Mitchell says it took several weeks to achieve and required the full support
of the parents.
Consistency is the key, because the parents had to implement the same procedures
when Mitchell was not putting the children to bed. "But in the end, the children
did get the idea, and now are much less of a handful when it comes to bedtime,"
he adds.
Eventually, children learn that bedtime is a routine part of their lives,
and they learn to accept the structure. "Bedtimes are nice now," says Mitchell.
"Now there are no arguments or shouting matches -- it's just something
they accept."
The children know that their calm bedtime behavior offers them rewards,
too. "When the big hand gets to the six, and the small hand is on the seven,"
reports Mitchell, "they get ready for bed. If they get undressed without arguments,
then they enjoy the privilege of having a story to settle them to sleep."