Good Night, Princess.
Tremendo has been quite taken with The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker video game. There have been many squabbles with Kamikaze over game cube time. Because of this we’ve had some bedtime issues where Tremendo wants to keep playing way past his bedtime (8:30 – 9:00pm).
Tonight in order to have as stress free a bedtime as possible I began warning him that it would be bed time as early as 40 minutes before I wanted him in bed. Each time I said, “Tremendo, bed time in X minutes.” He would yell back, “I can’t!”.
Finally when the fated hour arrived I sat on the couch and watched what he was doing. He was up to the part where he finally gets his sword back. I warned him that after he gets his sword it would be time for bed. He got his sword and watched the little movie that accompanies such accomplishments in the game and didn’t protest at all when I told him it was time.
He grabbed his sword (made his own with linking cubes) and shield (one of my pot lids) and allowed me to brush his teeth without a single protest. I put him to bed and said, “Good night, Link.” As I walked out of the room he said, “Good night, Princess.” My heart melted, of course, and I had to call Vic up and tell him what happened.
I’m so glad I took the time to help him transition peacefully, what a wonderful reward.
I have a 12 year old high functioning autistic boy. Bedtime is a nightmare. I need to warn him two hours, or more, before. He tends to finally get to bed by 11.30.
Tight scheduling and such doesn’t work. It seems only that lengthy warning works. Mind you, he keeps yelling to me ‘I know!’ or such things, or nods a yes, which means he is not listening.
My son has been to a mainstream school but I am thinking of homeschooling him for his secondary school years (which start in Aust at age 12/13). I’ve only just found your website. Maybe I need to start a blog too, to vent my frustrations.
Eirene