Leave the Light On, Wait in Line

Been meaning to note these things for awhile, and I regret how long it has taken because I feel live I’ve already forgotten one or two.

“These things” refers to the things the kid says as we walk out of the bedroom after putting her in bed. The longest running commands are

“Leave the light on!”

and

“Wait in line!”

Every night bedtime starts with brushing teeth, using the bathroom, and changing into pajamas. We typically end with the kid in the bed and reading a story. Then, as we take turns doing the hug and kiss, the sound machine is turned on, the overhead light turned off. As we step towards the door into the hall, we are told leave the hall light on and to wait in line. We cannot start down the stairs until we are both on the landing.

Frequently there is some other refrain, such as “no fires in the house.” I’ll update this post if I can remember some that I have forgotten, or if new ones come up. It seems like we can get an idea of her fears from whatever those last commands are.