I love love love love the magic light. And the friends that suggested it are very dear to my heart as well. Our kiddos were waking up at 5:45-6 AM on a regular basis (weekday, weekend, any morning.) Correction, E was waking up and 5:45-6. J would get up with her, not to be left out, and would stumble downstairs, unable to walk straight he was so tired. And, inevitably, both would start falling apart around 10:30, if they made it that long. Well, those of us with toddlers know that, if you put a toddler down for a nap at 10:30, it is a rare toddler that will sleep anymore that day, causing another breakdown around 4 or 5.
While complaining about our situation to a friend (and confessing our new weekend coping strategy of 6 AM showing of Toy Story 2) we discovered we are not the only parents who have faced this problem! We are just not the most creative parents who have faced this problem. Creative solution: buy an outlet timer at a local store (I got mine at Target.) Plug in a lamp or nightlight (ours has a fun, subtle, blue light bulb to make it even more special.) Set the timer so the light turns on and a parent selected time. Tell children they are allowed to get out of bed when the light turns on. (Not doing so is clearly disobeying mommy and daddy.) The light is quiet and does not wake up any children that may still be asleep, but is noticed immediately by any children waiting (patiently, we hope) for the okay time to go pounce on mommy and daddy. May your mornings also be filled with rest or productivity!
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6 comments:
Has this been working? I would love to know so I can try it out on my oldest!
It has worked very well! My 6 AM kiddos are now waking up around 7:45 (even during the summer) and come downstairs as soon as the light goes on at 8. I am thinking about turning the timer back to 7:30, but with a nursing baby I have really enjoyed a few extra minutes of sleep.
It's good to finally hear the secret to your little trick! I have heard rumors in the past but didn't have the extra specifics...thanks dear! You are doing a great job here!
What a great idea! I am going to have to look into this :)
Where do I find this "magic light"?
Any old lamp works :) but we got a new one from target for my kiddos. The only important thing is the timer! (Which we also found at target-it just plugs into the wall and you set it to turn on at a specific time and then off again.)
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