Mom, Where’s Our Checklist??

My four year old is schooling me in the benefits of checklists. I’ve never been a list person. I kept to-do lists at my paying jobs prior to kids, but only because I felt I had to. At the very least, I didn’t want to be the only one in the department with nary a task in Outlook. Just in case my boss might notice. In my personal life, however, I’ve always resisted list-making. Much to my husband’s chagrin, I prefer to wing it.

My delightful four year old is becoming more and more like her father all the time. His lists pulled together a seamless 200 guest wedding in 5 months. Several weeks ago, our daughter turned into a list-maker extraordinaire. I’m pretty sure it started with an episode of good ‘ol Daniel Tiger. Now, I hear regularly, “Mom, we need a checklist for today.” Or, “Mom, where’s our checklist??!”

Yup, my boss has noticed.

Meanwhile, bedtime behavior has deteriorated. She had been doing so well, but she fell of the wagon. Oh, yes, more bedtime drama. Fighting every step of the bedtime routine. Getting out of bed over and over to use the bathroom. Crying. Yelling.

And then two days ago, it hit me. Duh!

“You and I are going to do something special together,” I told her. “We are making a big girl bedtime checklist.”

We spent probably an hour on the checklist. I showed her where on the list I had written that her sisters would go upstairs to bed. And she would be able to complete all the rest of the items just herself, because she’s a big girl. When we got to “Potty time,” I explained that she could take as long as she needed, but then we would check it off…and going to the bathroom would be over for the evening.

The first evening (yesterday), she still tried to get up and go to the bathroom again. There was still crying and drama. But bedtime was noticeably better.

Tonight it worked like a dream! After I brushed her teeth, she said, “I can’t wait till all the boxes get checked off!” She checked the last one with a smile of satisfaction. We reiterated what would happen now. She would stay in bed and not talk, even if her sister was talking.

And she did it! Both were asleep in record time.

Now who’s the boss?

For tonight at least…