Bedtimes

Thursday night. Children's bedtime. Two down, one running riot. Our five year old has the biggest most beautiful eyes you can imagine - but when she decides to throw a tantrum, well, lets just say it sets the dogs barking for several suburbs. Right now she is intermittantly slamming the shutters in her room open and closed, and throwing things into the corridor. It is a bit like a cartoon - but they usually have a chirpy sound track. This has wailing and screaming and gnashing of teeth.

Not sure how it started. But I know that this is the fourth night in the row. Last night Mark and I closed the doors, and retreated to the trampolene at the bottom of the garden, with a bottle of wine and two glasses. You can't hear the yells from there. Tonight, well, Mark's no fool. Even the trampolene is too close for his comfort and he is out for dinner. I have broken into the spare champagne that we keep for emergency celebrations (quick! I think someone we might know has suddenly had a birthday/a baby/a good night's sleep, crack open the fizzy stuff.) Sadly we don't keep spare champagne glasses, and I am drinking from a mug. Still, beats a jam jar....or straight from the bottle, my initial impulse.

Things have quietened down. But her light has gone on. I know if Mark were here the tantrum would end sooner. I am a complete procrastinator. Once the screams turn to those heart wrenching gulps and sighs I give in, give up and basically lie on the ground to be trampled on.

It is started again. From where I am sitting on the deck I can see her throwing herself against the window, the sound is muted. And now she has seen me. She is coming out. She is next to me on the sofa. Her head on my shoulder. I know all she wants is a hug and an 'I love you' but I think that I learned that they are supposed to sort themselves out and not be rewarded for bad behaviour. But where is the line between a great way of training your dog and a tender yet effective way of bringing up a child?

Who knows.

Pour me another, I'll think about it!