I've been mulling over this blog post since we arrived last week. I was laying in bed with Nora for hours on end in the middle of the night (or at least it seemed like hours), trying to convince her it was indeed the middle of the night. Over the last week we've implemented strategies for how to know it's the middle of the night. They have these awesome blinds here that completely block out all light. I'm convinced between the blinds and the healthy Swiss air, this is why Nora takes such a long afternoon nap here. We have been leaving the blinds part way up. Then if she sees it's dark, she knows it's not time to get up. Other than that, incentives (bribery) seem to be working well. If you want to do X,Y and Z, you have to go to sleep with no crying. I'm trying to wean her off Y and Z and just offer one incentive each night.
At home, I'm inclined to turn on all the lights in the house when we both are wide awake at 3:30am after a transatlantic flight home, (you'd be amazed at all you can accomplish starting at 3:30AM) but here there are quiet hours to contend with. From 10pm until 7am you need to be quiet. As a parent this makes me really paranoid because it is hard to contain a 2 year old who feels like being loud. Maybe if I had grown up here, I'd be more used to it and know when it's a big deal and when it is not. For instance, when one of my neighbors takes a phone call in the middle of the night. Is that a big deal? As I was laying awake, I thought it would be great if I had a sewing machine along. Since I have a little extra time, I thought I could finally finish the 43 projects I've started over my lifetime and never finished. Maybe I'd start something new, perhaps a flannel nightgown for Nora or better yet the floral pantsuit.
Before I had completed this day dream in the middle of the night, Nora had finally fallen asleep and so had I. I ended up sleeping next to the mattress on a comforter. The mattress was on the floor next to the bed frame, so basically I was on the cold hard floor. A week later we're doing much better. Everyone is sleeping in their own bed up off the floor (except Elmo who sleeps in his crib in the bathroom.)
At home, I'm inclined to turn on all the lights in the house when we both are wide awake at 3:30am after a transatlantic flight home, (you'd be amazed at all you can accomplish starting at 3:30AM) but here there are quiet hours to contend with. From 10pm until 7am you need to be quiet. As a parent this makes me really paranoid because it is hard to contain a 2 year old who feels like being loud. Maybe if I had grown up here, I'd be more used to it and know when it's a big deal and when it is not. For instance, when one of my neighbors takes a phone call in the middle of the night. Is that a big deal? As I was laying awake, I thought it would be great if I had a sewing machine along. Since I have a little extra time, I thought I could finally finish the 43 projects I've started over my lifetime and never finished. Maybe I'd start something new, perhaps a flannel nightgown for Nora or better yet the floral pantsuit.
Before I had completed this day dream in the middle of the night, Nora had finally fallen asleep and so had I. I ended up sleeping next to the mattress on a comforter. The mattress was on the floor next to the bed frame, so basically I was on the cold hard floor. A week later we're doing much better. Everyone is sleeping in their own bed up off the floor (except Elmo who sleeps in his crib in the bathroom.)
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