Inspired by Cinmell... Does anyone have a child like this?

[Fishbone†]

And how did you get them like this?

I had my niece over last weekend. She just turned three in December and she is so sweet. Anyway, she and I stayed up kind of late (11:30) having fun before we crashed Friday night. On Saturday morning, I woke up at 5:00 am when I felt her crawling (very carefully) over me. She said "I have to go potty." So I got up to help her, and on her way back to the bed, she grabbed her packback full of books, drug it into bed with us, and went back to sleep. About 6:45, I felt her move and I opened one eye (too tired to open both). She's just getting a book out of her bag, and she says to me..... "It's not morning yet Heidi. I'm just going to sit and read my books..... you tell me when it's morning, okay?" Hmmmmm..... sounds good! I fall back asleep. I wake up about 7:30...... she says "Is it morning yet?" I say "No, not yet." (Just a couple more minutes sounded nice ). She says "Okay, I'll read my books..... you tell me when it's mornin'."
So, what I want to know is how you get a kid like this?? Someday when I have children, I want one who will stay in bed reading books until I declare it "morning" (sometime around 10:00!! )

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

That is absolutely adorable, Fishy!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very cute, Fish. Nice.

 

[kejoda]

the boys will do that until they want to eat that is.

 

[janette]

How sweet!

My youngest is a morning person, I finally told her it was okay to get up as long as she didn't wake me up. She's into cartoons and thank goodness we have Toon Disney! It still isn't unusual to wake up and find her watching something at 6:30am she I get up and she's 8yo now. I know sometimes she gets up about 4am I'm not sure it will last through the teen years though.

 

[jamsmom]

How wonderful!

My DS has never required much sleep Even though he's on some medicine that "should" make him drowsy at night, the doctor is just amazed that he is not phased. Even now, when he takes pain medicine for his kidney stone, it does not make him sleepy. He can easily go on 3 hours of sleep a night! (and this is without caffiene and other diet changes) I sure hope that when he turns 13 this summer that he suddenly will require more sleep

 

[Serena]

That is amazing. I'll trade.


From what other parents tell me, my kids are angels at their homes. They ask me how I do it and all that and I think it's very nice. I just wish my kids would do that more at home too.

 

[cinmell]

Originally posted by Fishbone†

So, what I want to know is how you get a kid like this??

LUCK!

 

[Lars624]

Awwww......your niece sounds like a very special little girl!

 

[dianeschlicht]

That is a very well trained pleasant child! We had kids like that too. One was a very early riser and would always "read" or play with mosaics until we got up to get him from his bed.

 

[JESW]

What a sweetie!

Having children like that depends a lot on their personality. DS8 is an early riser and is up every morning between 5 and 6. He has his internal alarm clock set to get up to watch Tiny Toons. He goes downstairs and has that quiet time to himself. Mostly he draws. I am also an early riser and some mornings I go down to sit with him.

DD4 and DH like to sleep. DD is also very independent and will just go off to her room for some alone time to color or read. We have been very fortunate that both our kids can entertain themselves and don't need constant adult interaction. And they are both affectionate kids. Most days it's just great.

Jill

 

[Amy]

Boy, I wish I knew how to get kids to be like that! Mine can't drag their butts out of bed to go to school, but on weekends, they're up bright and early, fighting with each other. This past weekend, none of us had to do anything for church on Sunday (nobody was acolyte, the bell choir wasn't playing, no ushering), so we went to church Saturday night. I announced to them that we were ALL going to sleep late Sunday and enjoy the morning off. Both boys AND DH were up at 6:45!!! Grrrrr.....

 

[Buckalew]

What a sweetie! I have one just like her. I think a lot of it is personality. Hunter has always been very easy and very agreeable. She is content to be a lone and play and read and doesn't need to be entertained. I let her learn to play by herself when she was very little (crawling, in fact. And she walked a week before she was 8 months!) She didn't need me to sit in the floor and keep her occupied. I did my fair share of playing but I didn't want her to think she needed me every second. When she was very young I would put books beside her bed and tell her after nap or morning she could lay there and look/read her books but not to get up by herself. She just did it. And once I put her to bed at night, she is in there to stay. I watched my sister's kids get up 5 &6 times at night for this and that & I knew I wasn't going to allow that to start. A lot of luck and a lot of habits that you create also.

But, I'd also recommend you to start the prayers now...

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

My kids did this. We started putting books in their baby beds(when we checked on them before we went to sleep) when they were old enough to sit up by themselves. I started with the soft type and progressed to board books etc. They never ate books either They did this throughout their preschool years. Now, they are 11 and 8 and stay in their rooms until we declare it is morning. They do NOT come out(except for bathroom) until we are up. They read, play quietly etc. Start early and it can work ! Enjoy the niece.

 

[Mishetta]

When you find out how to get one of those kids, tell me how because I want one too! DS#1 is a very early riser on weekends & holidays when there is NO school. He has to make sure he wakes the entire house up too. If he's not diving into our bed to wake us, he's screaming in my face "I'M HUNGRY!" At that point, I'm ready to eat him! Mind you, he's 7 y/o! Of course on a school day, not even a bomb can get him out of bed!

DS#2 is only 17 months old & doesn't know any better but he starts chanting really loud....so there is NO sleeping in at our household.

 

[Rajah]

How sweet!!!