How do people do this toddler bed business? Zoe was so very excited about her big girl bed. During the day. Last night was our first night with the new bed, and she was extra rambunctious at bed time. It was getting late. I left the nightlight on and told her she could play in her room until she wanted to lay down, but mommy was going to bed. Because it was bedtime. That lasted 2 seconds. Bang Bang on the door, and then she figured out how to open it. "Hi Momma I opened the door!" I ended up rocking her to sleep before laying her in her bed - more than 2 hours later than usual. Then after 6 (of the usual 10-11) hours of sleeping, she was up again. Perky and awake and no interest in going back to bed. As I was trying to get her to lay back down and close her eyes, oh about 5am, she said "I can't sleep. My bed is open!"
Perhaps we've done this too soon? But I feared she would hurt herself falling over the crib rail after she climbed out into my arms, and then later I caught her straddling it, one leg in and one leg out. So I suppose this is safer, but hopefully its not a nightly battle.
*PS I just read gobs of people giving advice about this on some sort of momtalk webpage and they said over and over: spend however long it takes for several nights persistently putting her back in bed every time she gets out. no extra eye contact. no extra talking. no rocking. quiet patient putting her back into bed. over and over until she stays. eventually it wont take hours. I guess this will be the new strategy. Zoe is an incredibly persistent and independent child though. This could take awhile.
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3 comments:
You were right to get the big kid bed now. You are a wonderful mommy:) I don't think it will take long for her to settle back into her night time routine. Just remind her that mommy sleeps in an "open" bed too.
Wish I could be there to help!
love grandma jo
Hey...
I would just let her keep coming out and put her back into bed without any words or comfort. She'll eventually get the picture that getting out of bed doesn't get anything from you.
Sarah isn't allowed to play in her bed. She can read books quietly in bed, but she has to stay in her bed, or we take all the books away (naps).
We tried the night light thing for one night but had the same issue. I think it was because she could actually see, so that is why she got up. Once we turned that off, she was too timid to get out and explore in complete darkness.
Your kid is brilliant (I know her parents are!) so appealing to her intellect might work too. Maybe books that show other characters not in cribs. We actually explained to Sarah if she snuggled close to the rails of the bed (she was in a convertible crib first) then it would feel just like her old bed. She seemed to find comfort in that.
We did get her additional stuffed animal friends to keep her company now that she was a big girl. (Though now she sleeps with 5 - so not sure I would/will do that again!)
Anyway. Hang in there. Good Luck!
Thanks for the advice and support! I will be starting the firm routine this evening. I do not expect it to go well at first. Z sleeps with an innumerable army of stuffed animals - dinosaurs to dolphins - so she has plenty of company!
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