bedtime redux

Bedtime has been better. Better better better.

Notes to self for bedtime:

1. One parent for bedtime routine for both girls. The other one gets a break (bonus) and the "on" parent seems to be more able to create an experience (read: pretend games) and less likely to overwhelm the child with barked orders that were just barked by the other parent.
2. Pretend games. Pretend games. Pretend games. The child will bite and play along. Just suggest a pretend game, and go with it.
3. When they start ignoring, disobeying, going deliberately slow, keep voice happy and see if ignoring the misbehavior for a minute will solve the problem. Often it will and you can go to the next step. And happy moderately cooperative child is much faster than unhappy uncooperative child.
4. Happy bedtime=worth it. Today we discovered shadow puppets and I got kisses under the covers when I sang the lullabye with the help of a penlight. Nothing like little-girl kisses in the twilight.
   

So: bedtime is better.*
Any other bedtime tricks for the less-than-patient parent?

*At least for this week.