TO BED IN TIME, SAVES WHINE

Age 6 mo. here, Justis still sleeps with his dog and blanket. So cute!

I have recently discovered a universal truth in babysitting. Putting kids to bed on time saves tears and whining.

In the quest to be the best Nonna ever I have become very lax in my enforcement of bedtime curfews. This was not the case when I was mothering my children, but when "nonna-ing" grandchildren I fall victim to a "They're being good so what's the harm?" mentality.
My knowledge of child psychology (and physiology) should override such neglect of common sense. When a child stays up past bedtime, the facade of tranquility is bound to be short-lived. We now enter "The Whining Zone".
"I miss my mommy."
Children who are past the tired time quickly enter this zone with little to no provocation or warning. Favorite blankets, stuffed animals, degree of door opening relative to lights in adjacent rooms or the desperate need for sleepy time music is suddenly a crisis. No assurances or distractions can stop the tears.
Key to survival is NSF. The Nonna Sympathy Factor.
Although virtually unknown to my children, the grandchildren know just how to leverage their age, length of parent's absence and level of that day's obedience as key indicators to successfully stalling going to bed. Entering the Whining Zone means both players are losers.
So, "To bed in time, saves whine" are important rules to live by....no matter how old you are.