August 20, 2001 - Monday
Tonight it was time to to start a new bedtime routine for Harry. Well, it's not really that new at all, just revised so that we start to break the habit of Harry depending on us to fall asleep. I actually did much the same thing as always, lying on the bed with Harry, singing him songs. The difference was that I didn't lie down with my head near his as I have done before, but rather with my head and shoulders propped up against the wall at the head of his bed. I committed to singing just four songs, regardless of whether Harry was asleep or not. With recent experience as a guide it seemed almost certain that Harry would still be awake and I'd leave to screams of displeasure. However, that did not happen. In fact, after just two songs it seemed Harry was well on the way to bliss and I started to get up from the bed. Harry was not asleep and mumbled out "more" and started to rise from his prone position to protest. I didn't let him up and instead sat down beside him and started to sing the third song. Harry called out for me to lie down, but his heart and sleepy eyes weren't in it and I just sat there singing.

The fourth song never came. Harry was sound asleep and I'd avoided the uncomfortable confrontation of teaching Harry not to rely on the songs for sleeping. That's OK, I figured. I had altered the routine a little by sitting up and having Harry see that I was almost done singing. Since that didn't bother him too much, I think I'm on the right track. Well, with one foot on the track anyway.


Comments, opinions?