Go the f*ck to sleep

I could wax philosophical about childrens bedtime patterns. I could go on at length about how good routine helps children fall asleep easier. (They receive all the cues that trigger blah blah blah)

I could say all of this if it wasn't complete crap.

My daughter puts herself to bed. She's three, and she grabs her blanket, turns off her light, and dismisses me without any further fuss. My oldest son grabs an audio book and quietly sequesters himself. His brother simply goes to bed and lies down.

But among all this, it only takes one kid to ruin everyone's evening. Every scrap of well-meaning advice is hot garbage in the face of blistering reality.