One week ago, Addelyn moved into her new big girl bed. She is very excited and very proud. Her first night was a little tough. She didn't get out of her bed (amazing!) but cried for about 20 minutes. "I don't like my big girl bed, I'm sad!" After the tears, she did great! We didn't hear from her til the next morning when she sat on the end of her bed and waited for us to come and get her.
The past week overall has gone really well. She has slept well for both naps and bedtime for the most part. We have a gate up at her door- one that seems very childproof. Until 2:30 a.m. when our bedroom lights turned early on morning a few days ago. So she knows how to get out. Now what?
Then today.......naptime arrived and my little miss was in and out of her room about 30 times. I would continue to return her to her room. She continued to come out with a different excuse or reason. See below, each excuse was a different time out the door and another trip where I carried her back to her room. These are the ones I remember!
"I have to poop."
"I need chapstick."
"I need water."
"I need a couch pillow."
"I have books." (in this case, she had taken MANY MANY books off her shelf and they were everywhere in her room)
"I sleep on the floor." (her pillow and blankets pulled off the bed onto her floor)
"Jonah pooped." (Jonah is the new imaginary friend, another post is to come soon on this one I promise! She had the wipes and a diaper out.)
"Jonah woke me up."
"Micah pooped." (Micah is imaginary friend Jonah's younger imaginary brother)
"I don't have clothes." (this time she was completely naked)
"I am laughing, Mommy." (I responded, "I am not." Took her back in her room, holding in my bursts of laughter)
"I need you." (this time she crawled out on her hands and knees)
"I heard a helicopter."
"I heard a train, I'm scared."
"I heard a train, I'm scared."
"What are you eating? I heard the bag." (yes, I was snacking!)
"After nap, we are going to the pet store!"
"Right, Mommy?"
"Right, Mommy?"
"Right, Mommy? (I was ignoring her completely each time at this point.)
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I'm sorry, Mommy." (this was in the sweetest, saddest voice, of course!)
Finally, I cracked. Just couldn't deal anymore. I let her get up for good.
I don't really know what to do. Any great bed suggestions? Gotta love my toddler.
7 comments:
Love the big girl bed. So cute. So---Micah...Jonah...
Where does she come up with this? I just crack up when I read all the reasons she came out of her room. :) Oh sis. Patience....I"ll be thinking of you.
OH Kris... SOOO funny- I'm laughing OUT LOUD!!! :) She's so funny... I know- probably not to you right now, but you'll laugh some day at this post! :)
Oh the delaying. Carter does that so often. I feel like I've read as the kiddos get older, sometimes nap time turns into quiet play time but as far as suggestions well, Carter has become a nap resisting champ so...
I think just stay as consistent as possible and she will eventually figure out that all of her tactics don't get her too far. It's so hard not to laugh though...I was laughing here. Good luck!
Argh... that's tough! I love that you wrote down all her excuses! :) Ben & Erin read a book about stuff like that when they moved Charlie to a big bed. They'd read about a method where you just intercept them at the door and put them right back into bed without saying a word to them. What they're looking for is interaction, so when you chat and barter with them, they're getting what they want. We did that with Boaz. The first night, we put him back into bed about 30 times. (the first time, we verbally told him that we'd be putting him right back in it and he needed to stay there) We just scooped him up as soon as we heard him out. The second night was 15ish times, the third night was about 5... and a couple nights later the problem was pretty much solved. I will tell you that Ben's first night was 300+ times... all night long. (talk about patience!!) But after just a few nights, they were set, too. Don't know if it would work for you, but worth a shot? You could always ask Erin about it next week at L&P? Sorry... this turned into a book!! Talk to you soon!
Childproof doorknobs work amazing during nap time! Especially when they don't want to nap! haha
I just spilled hot tea on myself cracking up this morning. I'm printing these babies off, they're so funny. Especially all the pooping and "I heard the bag".
Hilarious!!!!!
I think at this age routine is the name of the game. With a big girl bed you might need to institute some new nap time traditions. With Riley we'd stay with her until she was completley asleep, and then eventually until we could trust her to go to sleep from sleepy.
But it took several months to work up to leaving at sleepy...The process was sometimes frustrating and time consuming. But she shares a room with her sister and I couldn't afford to have her sister woken up. And it lent to special time together, getting to reconnect *just* us. Some days she still asks me to stay until she's asleep because she misses me. And that's fine, she is growing so fast! :0( I know our situations are different-shared room etc...But I've found approaching these situations in ways that will build up our relationship and open more opportunties to reconnect always works well- not always easiest, but rewrding! Good luck! And her bedding is so cute!!
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