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Sunday night's antics were repeated on Monday night when Z was faced with bedtime. The mere mention of the word sent her into a psychotic episode of panic. After an hour of strategic coercing failed to convince her that getting in her crib and sleeping wasn't equivalent to a hot poker in the eye, we finally had to go to our last resort of defeat and let her sleep in our bed. When the sound of her rhythmic breathing syncopated with sounds of the baby moaning, I had to give the monitor to Chris and tell him to sleep in the office on the futon, to avoid another night of everyone in the family up in the middle of the night. This felt like a major regression as this is how we lived for the first three months of the Lil' Man's life.
Oy!
But, Tuesday night, after a few hours, yes hours, of strategic coercing, failing, letting her sleep in our bed and lying there wide awake while she flopped around uncomfortably, I found a window of opportunity around 10:30 to say, "Z, would you be more comfortable sleeping with Baby in your big girl bed?" And miraculously, was met with an ethusiastic, "Okay!"
I walked her to her room, lay her down, covered her up with her blankie, gave her Baby to cuddle, patted her head, asked her if she wanted the door open or shut, then when she said, "open," walked out and never heard another peep.
The Lil' Man even slept through the night that night.
Last night was another short stint of strategic coercing, but she went straight to her own bed just ten minutes past her regular time, and without a peep once again.
I don't know what was going on with her, and such is the case with toddlers, we may never know. We may even have another slide backwards at times. But for now, I am finding solace in being proud of her for tackling whatever demons she was wrestling these past few nights.
There is a lot going on lately, and maybe that's part of it. We just took her to a foreign place for a week. Then, we came home and immediately had houseguests, including an unfamiliar baby her brother's age that could have made her feel left out. I'm working some long hours. And she just moved up to the Pre-K room at her daycare. I guess all that could be overwhelming for a 2-year-old.
Who am I kidding? It was overwhelming for me and I've been doing this life thing for 37 years.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
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3 comments:
Transitions can be tough for two-year-olds and mamas!
Hey, I thought I'd come by and invite you to come on over to the second annual Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway.
Hope to see you there!
love coming here. I remember those days.
Oh, that's no fun. But hopefully it'll pass soon. Until then, see you at Starbucks.
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Sunday night's antics were repeated on Monday night when Z was faced with bedtime. The mere mention of the word sent her into a psychotic episode of panic. After an hour of strategic coercing failed to convince her that getting in her crib and sleeping wasn't equivalent to a hot poker in the eye, we finally had to go to our last resort of defeat and let her sleep in our bed. When the sound of her rhythmic breathing syncopated with sounds of the baby moaning, I had to give the monitor to Chris and tell him to sleep in the office on the futon, to avoid another night of everyone in the family up in the middle of the night. This felt like a major regression as this is how we lived for the first three months of the Lil' Man's life.
Oy!
But, Tuesday night, after a few hours, yes hours, of strategic coercing, failing, letting her sleep in our bed and lying there wide awake while she flopped around uncomfortably, I found a window of opportunity around 10:30 to say, "Z, would you be more comfortable sleeping with Baby in your big girl bed?" And miraculously, was met with an ethusiastic, "Okay!"
I walked her to her room, lay her down, covered her up with her blankie, gave her Baby to cuddle, patted her head, asked her if she wanted the door open or shut, then when she said, "open," walked out and never heard another peep.
The Lil' Man even slept through the night that night.
Last night was another short stint of strategic coercing, but she went straight to her own bed just ten minutes past her regular time, and without a peep once again.
I don't know what was going on with her, and such is the case with toddlers, we may never know. We may even have another slide backwards at times. But for now, I am finding solace in being proud of her for tackling whatever demons she was wrestling these past few nights.
There is a lot going on lately, and maybe that's part of it. We just took her to a foreign place for a week. Then, we came home and immediately had houseguests, including an unfamiliar baby her brother's age that could have made her feel left out. I'm working some long hours. And she just moved up to the Pre-K room at her daycare. I guess all that could be overwhelming for a 2-year-old.
Who am I kidding? It was overwhelming for me and I've been doing this life thing for 37 years.
Baffling Toddler Update
Oy!
But, Tuesday night, after a few hours, yes hours, of strategic coercing, failing, letting her sleep in our bed and lying there wide awake while she flopped around uncomfortably, I found a window of opportunity around 10:30 to say, "Z, would you be more comfortable sleeping with Baby in your big girl bed?" And miraculously, was met with an ethusiastic, "Okay!"
I walked her to her room, lay her down, covered her up with her blankie, gave her Baby to cuddle, patted her head, asked her if she wanted the door open or shut, then when she said, "open," walked out and never heard another peep.
The Lil' Man even slept through the night that night.
Last night was another short stint of strategic coercing, but she went straight to her own bed just ten minutes past her regular time, and without a peep once again.
I don't know what was going on with her, and such is the case with toddlers, we may never know. We may even have another slide backwards at times. But for now, I am finding solace in being proud of her for tackling whatever demons she was wrestling these past few nights.
There is a lot going on lately, and maybe that's part of it. We just took her to a foreign place for a week. Then, we came home and immediately had houseguests, including an unfamiliar baby her brother's age that could have made her feel left out. I'm working some long hours. And she just moved up to the Pre-K room at her daycare. I guess all that could be overwhelming for a 2-year-old.
Who am I kidding? It was overwhelming for me and I've been doing this life thing for 37 years.