Common Enemies

The reason that grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy.
Sam Levenson (1911-1980)

My daughter has officially made her bedtime later than mine. It doesn't matter when I go to bed. She wants to stay up. I've tried all the tricks that usually work with her.
I've started with the sweet, cooing, mommy voice. "Sweetie, lie down and go to sleep. You have your dummy, you have your Pooh Bear, and you have your baba (blanket--my cousin came up with that one about 20 years ago, and to this day, everyone calls a blanket a baba). It's time to lie down and go to sleep." I turn off the lights and close the door on my way out.
Crying commences. I ignore.
Screaming commences.
I return to the room and tell her to lie down and go to sleep. (Yes, I know the experts tell you not to keep going back or you're teaching them how to get what they want, but, you know what, screw the experts, I know my child better than they do. This usually works for me.) She lies down. Whimpers a little. I close the door on my way out.
Crying commences. I ignore.
Screaming commences. I ignore. I ignore. I ignore.
I return to the room. She has thrown everything out of the playpen. Upon seeing me, she says, "Uh-oh!" and points to everything on the floor. Now, I don't believe that it's an accident that everything ended up on the floor. I pick it up and give it to her and tell her to lie down and go to sleep. She lies down. I close the door on my way out.
Crying commences before I have the door closed. I ignore.
Screaming commences as the door latches. I ignore. I ignore. I ignore.
I throw my hands up and return to the room. Everything is on the floor again. I give it back to her and warn her, "Don't throw it out again or you won't get it back!" (Again, to all experts out there: I know that I won't follow through with this threat and that idle threats don't work, but I was getting just a wee bit frustrated). I tell her to lie down. She does. I close the door on my way out.
No crying. Hmmm, interesting.
Walk three steps. Crying commences. I ignore.
Walk two steps. Screaming commences. I have given up.
Luckily for the poor little thing, her Grandma takes pity on her and comes to the rescue. My mom went in and gently laid her down. She proceeded to rub her back lightly. And in just a few mintues, my dear little angel was fast asleep.
Just in case you are wondering why I didn't try that, let me explain. I do try that. When I try to rub her back, she thinks it's a game. She rolls over on her back so that I tickle her tummy. I love her little laugh, so I can't help but smile. And then the game begins.
My father explained to me why the poor little thing won't behave for me. "You're staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house." When I looked confused by this over-simplified explanation, he continued, "She's used to getting away with anything and everything here. That's why your discipline isn't working."
Oh, yeah. Why didn't I think of that? The three of them have it in for me.