My Songs In Prose: Episode 1 - Bedtime Routine

So the other night, I was putting my daughter, Molly, to bed. It was a fairly normal night. Clean teeth, wash face, snuggle in, read story, sing a song to her, kiss her forehead and turn off the light. On this particular night however, Molly had stayed up and watched an old Attenborough documentary with my wife and I. It was Planet Earth and had loads of different animals on it which she rather enjoyed. The perfect thing for a curious 5 year old to watch.

Anyway. I went upstairs with her to go through the whole bedroom routine but this night she was asking question after question after question. She couldn't help it bless her but all the same it was rather annoying after a while. She asked all the way through cleaning her teeth, washing her face and the snuggling in. Eventually, enough was enough. I told her that there was no more time for questions. She disputed this claim and asked why. "Because you've got school tomorrow!" I replied. "And if you don't go to sleep now you'll wake up late!"

She seemed to accept this notion but still asked questions. I eventually had to tell a little white lie and tell her that I didn't have any more answers. It was time for her to sleep. She asked me to read her a story but I suggested that seeing the documentary was better than a story because she'll have awesome dreams about the animals. She accepted this too. But said that mummy have to read her a story tomorrow night to make up for it. We agreed on this.

As I went to turn out the light, she started telling me that she was scared of the lions that she'd seen on the telly and thought one was going to appear from under the bed to gobble her up. So I obliged in checking under her bed to make sure no lion was hiding under there. "There we are, now you won't have a nightmare because I've scared it away!" She seemed content with this and wrapped the duvet around her.

I always find it cute when she wraps herself in her duvet. Something about it just makes me smile and realise how lucky I am to have her, my wife and my second daughter, Mackenzie. Just in that moment it always happens. And I kind of think she knows I find it cute so she does it on purpose. I don't know. But she's daddy's little girl. They both are really. But as always, I told her I'd have to go now as I have to make sure Mummy doesn't sneakily put on something weird like DIY SOS or something. So I said I'd see her in the morning along with the rising sun. I'm a teacher, so I get up early as does she. So it's a literal thing.

Because of the excitement of staying up past her bedtime, seeing all the animals and the questions she'd been doing, she tried to get me to sing a song instead of leaving. But I just wanted to spend time with my wife to be honest. I said to her "Mol, you have a voice of an angel like no-one's ever had before. But you've definitely got my stubbornness. You need to go to sleep now!" I try not to be firm with her as it doesn't help either of us. But I do lay down some authority. She eventually conceded and settled down for bed.

I looked at her one last time before turning the light off and closing the door slightly. I feel slightly better knowing she's in her room and sleeping because I feel like I've done my job properly. It makes me feel good knowing that bedtime has gone well. It's not long now until the wife and I hit the hay as well. But until that time...

When my wife and I go to bed a few hours after, we both just look in on both of them to make sure they're asleep. We're good parents. We can tell if they're trying to convince us that they're asleep but they're actually. Neither of them were doing it on this particular night. My wife and I look at each other when we see them and smile. Neither of us want them to grow up. We want them to stay just the way they are. We know that's impossible but all the same. We'll always be here to help them that's for sure. Pick them up when they're down but we'd prefer it if they never grew up. I dread the day they bring their first boyfriend home. Or girl. I don't judge and I don't care what they choose to do in that department.

But they'll always be my little girls...