“Mommy, what time will I wake up in the morning?” “How long will I be sleeping?” “When can I get up, Mommy?” are just some of the night time series of questions from my three year old for the past few months. Actually, I’ve done a few posts in the past on how intrigued my daughter is by the concept of time and how I got her a toy clock since she will often ask what time it is throughout the course of the day. Even though the toy clock does tell time, it’s not an alarm clock, and the digital clock is too small to see across the room in the dark. I needed something so that the last ten to fifteen minutes of Quinn’s bedtime routine was not about discussing how long she would sleep and wake up and when she could get out of bed.
Just a couple of weeks ago we had a playdate, and I shared this issue with my friend. She instantly empathized with me and recommended a stop light alarm clock with a little race car and driver attached on the side that works for her four year old twin boys. Of course, I was very excited to purchase it for Quinn, but after getting home I did have a little apprehension, not because it was a little boy in the race car but because it did not match the current decor of her room (Yes, I’m “that” mommy!), and I wondered if it would look out of place.
After doing a little searching on Amazon, where my friend told me she purchased it, I was able to find the same clock, but it was in a different color palette and even had a little girl in the race car. While nearly $40 may be a bit steep for most, after using the clock for a little under two weeks, I’d say it is absolutely worth it. Even though Quinn is a patient child and typically did not get out of bed prior to the alarm clock purchase but would simply yell up the hallway if she was awake, “Is it morning?” “Can I get up now?” the alarm clock lets her know that it is time to wake up.
“When the light is red, stay in bed! If the light is green, get up and be seen!” is the phrase I came up with, and it works perfectly. The only possible downside so far is that Quinn wants to follow exactly what the traffic light tells her to do. For instance, today, she was moving around in her bed about ten minutes before the light was going to turn green. I came in and asked her if she wanted to get up early, and her response was, “I have to wait for the light to turn green to get up and be seen!” I chuckled to myself, and ten minutes later she called out, “Mommy, the light’s green. I can get up and be seen!”
If you’re looking for a clock to help with the bedtime and morning routine, both Quinn and I highly recommend purchasing this clock, and I thank my friend, Susan, for letting me know about it.
All the best,
Tanya
“Are you still doing your blog entries?” and “I haven’t seen any post from you in a while?” a few of my family members and friends have been inquiring. Since my daughter started school and I started having a five day a week teaching schedule instead of two, it’s been a very busy transition. Between Quinn wanting to play from the moment she arrives home from school until dinner and then after dinner until bath and bed time; and with me tending to grading, prepping and other teaching duties, my entries have not been as frequent these past couple of months.
“Look what I made!” my little girl exclaimed. It was a cute paper bag turkey. Upon arriving home, I noticed the red heart label that read, “What I am thankful for.” Each colorful feather had a name. First was Grover, Quinn’s best Sesame Street friend who’s been with her through thick and thin. I thought to myself, “Okay, fair enough.” The next feather said, “My Daddy.” But of course her daddy would follow. Then, to my surprise, third said, “Mickey Mouse.” Mickey Mouse, I thought. Really, Mickey Mouse is next? I tried to keep a big smile on my face as my three year old watched my expression when I saw that the very final feather, said, “My Mommy.”
Mommy's Baby Steps 