Dad here. I love putting my kid to bed. For nearly a year she only wanted mommy to do it. But she asks for me mostly now, and I’ve been soaking it up. I love reading books. I love singing her to sleep. I love the little tired conversations.
I don’t love all the attempts to delay bedtime… but we’ve got a decent routine that’s taken most of the fights out of it.
I just wanted to share while I’m still feeling the glow of a successful putdown.
I hope y’all feel that joy when you can. Stay safe out there.
Oh man, it’s the best feeling in the world when your kid picks you.
My kids are 10 and 12, and we still have a bedtime routine where I lay with them for a few minutes (sometimes we chat about nothing and everything). My 12 yo has anxiety that manifests as fear of the dark, so I spend a little extra time with him. He seems mostly over it now; sometimes he’ll tell me he doesn’t want me to lay with him (I can’t help but feel pride when he does, because I know that means he’s not scared to be alone).
Anyway, all of that to say that it’s the best feeling in the world, and I hope you have many more years with your daughter at bedtime to hang out and bond.