If you're wondering where I've been, I've been trying to teach a toddler to nap in his bed. And sleep in his bed. Yes, we have upgraded from the crib and it has been awful. It's like as soon as we say the word "nap" or "bed," no matter how tired he is, his heart starts racing and he gets a crazy burst of energy. Then when we finally give up and let him play, he is a complete wreck for the rest of the day. This stinks. I am one frustrated mother.
- At one point I slept on the floor next to him. This got me (and him) one or two naps last week. But my house is a complete mess, my work-at-home pile growing, my blog neglected, and my patience waning.
- Then, I decided to read on the other side of the room by the nightlight. He continued to sing in bed and did not sleep. I put him back in his bed every time he got up.
- One book recommended keeping track of how many times you put him back in bed so you know what you're dealing with. The first night it was 43 times. The next night I got to 50 and made Shane take over. The next night it was zero. Night-time actually isn't that bad.... because he always eventually goes to sleep. It's the naps that are killer.
- My newest attempt to get him to stay in his bed is to spank his bottom every time he gets out. It's working... but I feel terrible. And his little bum is surely sad.
- Today for nap I worked in levels... first, it was stay in bed, stay in bed, stay in bed. Then, it was lay down, lay down, lay down. Then it's be quiet, be quiet, be quiet. And finally, close your eyes, close your eyes, close your eyes. I thought it was working. But he is currently in his room singing very loudly. I just checked and at least he is laying down. And I'm writing this. Sigh.
This is by far the hardest transition we have had to make. It's made for an overtired, frustrated, whiny little boy. I miss our happy well-rested little boy. I miss the crib. Any advice is welcome.
I find it mildly interesting that this is not my first post about my child's sleep. Urgh.
In other mothering related news items, any advice on how to teach little tykes to blow their noses?
That's all you get today. Let me leave you with the most awesome treat I made for my guest lesson in Young Women yesterday, wherein we talked about pioneers and legacy. LOVE THIS. Yes, I made them up myself.
They're covered wagons! Chocolate-covered wagons! Glorious.
Happy President's Day.
4 comments:
I don't fight nap time. I'd rather my daughter napped if she needs it that nap in her bed after much fighting. It's a battle I've chosen not to fight. Sometimes she'll nap in her bed, sometimes she'll nap in my bed, sometimes she'll curl up on the couch with a pillow and blanket and zone out in front of a movie. She's a pretty sound sleeper, so I can work around her pretty well.
50?! Are you SERIOUS! I have no advice for you. Austin has always been a great sleeper. But I hope you figure it out and share your secrets because I just know Hayden is going to be a Wesley! I live in fear that she will start climbing out of her crib sooner rather than later because I don't know what I'll do if she can get out.
All I can say is he surely can't live in a sleep-deprived state forever. I assume he'll start giving in because his body will need it.
I don't really have any advice "from the trenches." Nathan was so in love with his bed when he got it that he never wanted to leave it and in a lot of ways slept better in it than his crib.
I found this tip a while ago and thought it might be ingenious. One to at least file away for later since I'm pretty sure my Austin might be a harder sell on the staying-in-bed routine. Check it out. It might work for you!
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/parenting/the-tape-trick-prudent-baby-136337
This can definitely be a difficult stage. Kyler had big problems staying in bed and we got super frustrated as well. I think what ended up helping us was getting door knob things so he couldn't open the door. We'd give him the option of having his door open, but if he got out of bed we shut the door. Since he couldn't open the door, he had to stay in his room. He'd whine, but he'd stay in his room and go to sleep. We could also control the light by the fan pull string so he couldn't turn on the lights and just party in his room all night. As far as the naps go, we're still figuring that one out......
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