Hug Rations

I have imposed hug rations in our house at bed time. It sounds wicked, but I've put my foot down.

Of late, I put the girls to bed and it usually goes smoothly. The girls get a bath, brush their teeth, brush their hair and read stories. They climb into their beds and I dim the lights. Then the trouble begins.

Hugs and kisses for everyone. Just as I start to leave, someone will call out, "Mommy, I need one more hug!"

Not to be outdone, the other child sweetly calls out, "One more hug for me too!"

So, I embellish them. I think, it's not like kids can have too many hugs & kisses, right? I love the affection just as much as they do. After the fifth time, I get wise to their strategy. Clearly, they are stalling. If I were more agreeable, they could do this all night.

I announce, "You each get only ONE more hug and ONE more kiss tonight. Then, I have to go downstairs and do my own work. I promise to kiss you and hug you more tomorrow. But this is IT! Understood?"

They giggle and squeak out a "yes". They each get their turn and I leave the room.

They protest, but I stick to my guns. Hiding my smiles, I promise more hugs and kisses tomorrow.

When I reach the family room, Ken laughs at me, "What are you rationing hugs now?"

I retort, "What would you do, smarty pants?"

And we realize their affinity for affection will be short-lived. Too soon, we will be just dumb ol' mom and dad.