Bedtime Bee!

We've had a lovely little development recently and it never fails to make me smile.

Bee has started saying 'bed' (ba) and making the corresponding Makaton sign. I'm always thrilled when Bee learns a new word or sign but this one has become quite special.

A couple of weeks ago I was in the kitchen, putting some dirty clothes in the washing machine and folding the clean ones. The living room was suspiciously quiet so I popped my head around the door to find it empty, no Bee. I walked through and into the hallway to find her sat at the bottom of the stairs. On seeing me she pointed up the stairs saying "mama a-ha", which is Bee's way of indicating what she wants. In this case, to climb the stairs. "Go on then kiddo" I replied, "mama's watching". She started to climb and I followed her up, ready for any mishaps that might occur although Bee is very steady and confident with stair-climbing. On reaching the top she crawled straight to her bedroom, sat next to the bed, pointed and said "ba". Well done honey, that's your bed. But Bee wasn't happy with that, she wasn't telling me it was a bed, she was telling me she wanted to go to bed! In she climbed and lay down. I was astonished! It was mid-afternoon and Bee hasn't had an afternoon nap for six months or more. I unfortunately couldn't let her sleep, the reason I cut the naps in the first place was because she wouldn't sleep at night, but how wonderful that my girl had learned how to ask for bed!

It's now become a regular thing, once teatime rolls around Bee starts asking and signing for bed. It never fails to make me smile and wonder if I am the only parent in the world who has a toddler who wants to go to bed!

Bee's first night in her new bed, May 2011