So as the baby grows into a toddler, sleeping habits get derailed. At the ripe age of 3 1/2 years old, we have unwilling submitted to co- sleeping more nights than not during the week. Once we think we have out smarted her she gets sick, we worry and snuggle her back in between us. Unfortunately this means my husband and I are both hanging onto the edge of our bed on our respective side. She is either peacefully sleeping while kicking the stuffings out of me or my husband. Neither one of us end up getting any sleep.
So last night at bed time we have the "you have to sleep in your own bed talk". (Ha ha ha). She wants to sleep in the dress she is wearing , so I come up with the plan that you sleep 2 nights in your own bed then you can sleep in the dress. I did it I know I've won! I am a genius, why didn't I come up with this sooner? She agreed and reassured me she was staying in her bed all night.
10:34 pm I hear her scream "NO" at someone in her sleep, arguing and then you got it, she wakes up. I go check on her and of coarse she has to potty. She cries, the whole time she is in the bathroom, I sit with her for a few minutes remind her of our deal and she goes back to her bed. Success!!
3:06 am crying ensues, screaming she has to go potty, I am hushing her so she doesn't wake up her daddy, too late. Then the bomb drops she wants to sleep in our bed. I say no you can't. Crying louder!!!! I am exhausted, I need my sleep, I want my sleep, I am done. I tell her no you can't lay in our bed, you can lay on the floor next to the bed. I know you are thinking why did you give in? Be strong? Let her cry it out? I get it, I have to work, I have to take care of other people's children later that day. Not sleeping the rest of the morning is not an option.
Lesson, NEVER let them in your bed for any reason if you don't want them their all the time.
Love our girl, just don't want an upper cut while in a deep sleep.
So when our youngest was about 2 1/2, we had to get him out of the crib - climbing became a concern. But he wouldn't stay in the toddler bed and kept ending up in our room. I put up gates, he climbed them - even stacked on top of each other! The doctor told me to take everything out of the room he could climb on - cut the door horizontally across about 1/3 of the way down - making it essentially a Dutch door - so he could see me and I could see him when the top 1/3 was open, but he couldn't climb out - no good footholds on the door. I put him back in the crib instead - he learned to cry it out all over again but he stayed in bed. I wish I'd done the door thing b/c he eventually had to move to a bed and it was still an issue occasionally.
ReplyDeleteTrue story! We are guilty of this too! It's hard! Shelby will stay in her bed though if i stay in it with her til she falls asleep. Thankfully!!! She now requests wrapped presents for every night she sleeps in her own bed without us...
ReplyDeleteShe is still in a toddler bed, so I can't lay with her. :(
DeleteShelby got too big for that! Get her a twin bed!
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