# Mommy Meltdown **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417 "2003-02-25T16:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/21 "2003-02-26T03:50:11Z")
Hey, those cows won’t milk themselves, you know. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/22 "2003-02-26T04:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > [Originally posted by JohnT\* > Huh. Little, adorable Sophie (all of 16 months) goes to bed at 8:00 pm and doesn’t stir until 7:30 am. > > And she NEVER plays with her food. > > Nyah-nyah!! This is evidence that she will grow up to be a serial killer.😉 She is cute, though! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/23 "2003-02-26T04:08:12Z")
Awwww. Thanks, **norinew**. I think… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/24 "2003-02-26T04:43:47Z")
My friend’s kids go to bed at 7 and wake up at 7. I’m tempted to loathe her. She has an adult life! She can do things in the evenings! She and her husband can converse! WOW! ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/25 "2003-02-26T05:03:29Z")
Oh, god. My three darlings go to bed at 8. They fall asleep at **10**. The intervening two hours are one big headache. ☹ This morning two of them were up by 6, and the third was up at 7. Aoghdan, the one who got up at seven, didn’t fall asleep until **4 am** the night before. He had all of three hours of sleep, and was in a great mood all day. How??? ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/26 "2003-02-26T05:11:40Z")
18 month old Alex usually goes to bed 7:30-8 pm and waks up 7:30-8 am… except when he doesn’t – sometimes to do with teething… other times we don’t know. It comes and goes. **belladonna** , I was going to seriously inquire if it might have to do with light in the morning and the possible use of black-out curtains… but, ummm, I’m guessing Ohio in February = not so much light at 5am. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bee\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e480ec/32.png) [@Queen\_Bee\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bee_1)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/27 "2003-02-26T05:14:07Z")
Is there some sort of comedic writing entry test that you have to take to post here? Because you folks are hysterical!! I love the play-doh in the belly-button thing! BTW, belladonna, my little angel decided very early (i.e., several hours after birth) that he just wasn’t interested in sleeping. He still isn’t. He was 2-1/2 before he slept through the night. The first nine months I spent in a sleep-deprived haze. But they say a lowered need for sleep in infants/young children is an early sign of intelligence (yeah so what – they’re smart enough to figure out very quickly how to drive their parents crazy!) ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/28 "2003-02-26T13:58:27Z")
Welcome **WMN**! Newbies in my threads make me smile. 🙂 It’s good to see that I’m not the only one being driven insane by this. And **Cranky** , I know you’re not allowed to hate your friend because she’s, well, your friend, so I’ll just hate her enough for the both of us, OK? **Apollyon** –right you are, 5 am around here is about two degrees lighter than pitch black. If I could fix it with some heavy cloth and a staple gun I’d be on it! [sub] **John** , you laugh now, but someday you’ll be standing in line at the grocery store buying your little angel a jumbo box of panty liners, and who’ll be laughing then?!? Bwa ha ha! [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/29 "2003-02-26T14:01:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cessandra \* > **Aoghdan, the one who got up at seven** I meant to ask, how do you pronounce that name **Cessandra**? I love how it looks… As for… [/quote] \*\*How??? \*\* [/QUOTE] I haven’t the slightest idea. But I wish it would rub off on me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/30 "2003-02-26T14:50:22Z")
Well, you’ve given her ideas. This morning she popped out of bed an hour and a half early, during the time I usually spend applying caffeine, hot water, toothpaste, etc. in an attempt to become something closer to human than you’d see when the alarm goes off. As a consequence of this, she was able to watch me go about my morning routine. 2 year olds don’t just like to watch, though, so she had a glass of milk while I drank my coffee, she brushed her teeth while I brushed my teeth, and it all worked well until it was time to shave. I thought I could get away with giving her a little shaving gel and the bladeless handle of one of the razors I wasn’t using. Therapy can deal with any gender issues later on, right? This worked fine while I was shaving my face. The trouble started when I shaved my head. She is right ticked off that despite her best efforts to copy Daddy she still has hair. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/31 "2003-02-26T14:55:10Z")
Wakes up at 5? My son never woke up that early! He has been a night owl ever since he was born. Maybe becasue I stayed up late while carrying him (inside.) Nowadays its all I can do to get him up at 7:30 in time for school! ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/32 "2003-02-26T14:56:34Z")
\*belladonna \*, have you thought of putting out breakfast food? There was a stage where our older daughter would get cold cereal for herself and her little sister, while my wife and I slept. (Of course, I don’t know if your child is old enough to do this yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/33 "2003-02-26T15:19:44Z")
Manduck said, “Hey, those cows won’t milk themselves, you know.” They would if they were male! (snicker) ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/34 "2003-02-26T15:23:54Z")
I am with CrankyAsAnOldMan and vanilla. My son who is nearly 3 is a night owl and always has been. Both my husband and I are night people as well, so it should not be any surprise. Plus we both work, so it is nice to actually get to spend quality time with him every day. Despite my best efforts, he will not fall asleep before 10pm, usually more like 11pm. He sleeps until 9am every day, which is wonderful on the weekends, but really stinks on weekdays when I have to get up at 6am to go to work (my dad is retired and watches my son at my house so my son can sleep until he is ready to get up, no matter what.) I know it isn’t much comfort, but count your blessings, belladonna, that he at least goes to bed willingly. My son never admits to being tired and really never appears to be. It is always a battle to get him to go to bed. But I really don’t think there is any changing them. I have tried everything to get him to go to sleep earlier - waking him up earlier in the morning, not letting him nap. The only result is a very crabby boy who stays awake until 10pm instead of a cheerful one. If I were you, I would be going to bed at 8pm as well. Aren’t you about 7 months pregnant, too? If I remember correctly, your son is about 2, so letting him be awake by himself is just not an option for safety reasons. ---
**Author:** ![phyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@phyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phyre)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/35 "2003-02-26T15:34:25Z")
Hoorah!!! so we are not alone!! Our little one is 6 weeks, and one night she decided she wanted to watch a sunrise - well, I figured thats what she wanted to do, because why else would you stay awake well past 4am looking out the window. Someone please tell me that it gets better. She occasionally sleeps from 11pm to 6/7/8 am… please say that starts to happen more often, instead of having mom and dad take turns keeping her occupied until her highness decides to **stay** asleep 🙂 _yawn_ And saturday is time for little Blair Chrystal’s injections - aah sh… ---
**Author:** ![phyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@phyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phyre)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/36 "2003-02-26T15:36:44Z")
Oh yeah, and did I suppose everyone knows abuot when they’re sooo tired, that they **can’t** fall asleep. Its as if they think they are going to miss out on something by going to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/37 "2003-02-26T15:44:02Z")
Yep, **chrisk** the lil’guy is only 21 months, so letting him fend for himself isn’t quite an option yet. Sometimes I give him his bagel and milk, turn on some cartoons and try to lay back down and at least _rest_ for a bit longer. This usually ends as soon as his bagel is gone though, because he starts raiding the fridge. I’ll be laying there and he’ll come charging in with a chunk of cheese, his bag of mini sausages, or a yogurt cup wanting me to cut/open/get him a spoon. At least he’s good about closing the fridge when he’s done! 🙂 And yes, I am pregnant–right at six months now–so I do go to bed relatively early. It’s just that after he goes down is really the only “me” time I get, so I’m always up for at least a little while so I can take a bath, wash the dishes, get some laundry sorted, or any of the other eight thousand things I never seem to have the time to do while he’s underfoot. I try to imagine how I’ll manage once I’ve got two to worry about (two who will no doubt be on completely opposite schedules) and I just want to swoon. Swoon, I tell ya! > [@](#): > > _originally posted by phyre_ > Its as if they think they are going to miss out on something by going to sleep. Well, they will. They’ll miss out on this golden opportunity to drive their parents absolutely insane. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/38 "2003-02-26T16:09:19Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by belladonna \* > I meant to ask, how do you pronounce that name **Cessandra**?_\* Aoghdan probably rhymes with “Hayden” or “Hidin’”. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/39 "2003-02-26T16:09:27Z")
Between the two of us, my wife and I have five children. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since 1993. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417/40 "2003-02-26T16:10:57Z")
You have my sympathies, **belladonna**. My daughter must have my sleeping genes, as she was never an early riser. My _friend’s kids_ are another matter. Last week at 0615 I awakened to the sound of a misguided platoon of US Marines who had stormed the living room of the house in search of Osama Bin Laden, along with air support. Disclaimer: No US military service branch was involved in the scenario. It was orchestrated by two little boys and a dog. However, it sounded the way I described it. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mommy-meltdown/157417.md?page=3)