My God, what have we done?
I'm scared ... really really scared!!! Tonight, Debbie and I decided it was time. Lauren has been sleeping in cots at daycare for some time now and we need to move her out of the crib soon. We've had a toddler bed for a few months and tonight was the night for Lauren to use it. I didn't really know what to expect. I figured it might be exciting at first, but my hunch was we would have to move her back to the crib for the next few nights. If that happened, we still felt it good to expose her to the toddler bed so she could get used to the idea of not sleeping in the crib. About all I can say now is the transition went better than I could have possibly hoped for.
When we pulled the bed out of the back bedroom, Lauren was very intrigued. She had seen it before and we told her it was a bed, but without a mattress, I don't think it was all that interesting to her. After I moved her mattress from the crib to the bed, Lauren took to it like a fish to water. She got this huge smile and jumped right onto the bed. Thus began our first lesson of sleeping in a bed: Do not jump up and down on the bed. After we finished our bed time routine of story, milk, and brushing of the teeth, it was time to see how well she would use this new contraption. Knowing her propensity for an "active" bed time, I stayed in the room to keep an eye on her. I then gave her the second rule of sleeping in a bed: If you get out of bed, you sleep in the crib. This seemed to work for about 20 minutes. She didn't stay still (sitting up, talking to me, playing with her stuffed animals), but she stayed on the bed. Then it happened, she hoped off the bed and started walking around the room. As I approached her, she ran back to the bed and laid down again. I began clearing things off so I could move the mattress back to the crib (we only have the one), which caused her to fuss.
I don't know if I wussed out here or sent mixed signals. She seemed to understand what I was doing and she didn't like it. She knew what she did to cause it and expressed remorse for it. My gut said to give the bed one more try. I placed everything back on the bed, she climbed in, covered up, and seemed to stay still. After another 10 minutes, I felt good enough to leave the room. I explained to her she was not to get out of the bed, but when morning came, she could call for me and I would get her. At this point I kissed her for the 30th time that night and left the room. I kept the door open only slightly just to see if she would stay. And I stood by that door for another 15 minutes (actually, I was standing in our bedroom watching TV, but I could see the door). I am still shocked at this, but she stayed in her bed. She talked for a little bit and let out those little cries she makes when falling asleep, but she did not leave her bed.
Now, we wait til morning. I've installed a chain on her door so she cannot open it on her own. Despite her tiny hands, Lauren is very good at opening doors and we felt this was the only way to keep her in her bedroom. All I have to do now is wake up at an ungodly hour tomorrow to make sure I am up before her. Prior to this, I would spend about 10-20 minutes in bed after she woke me up while she talked and did her little crib thing. For the next few weeks, I need to make sure I'm up before her to see what she will do during this time. I'll let you know how it goes.
When we pulled the bed out of the back bedroom, Lauren was very intrigued. She had seen it before and we told her it was a bed, but without a mattress, I don't think it was all that interesting to her. After I moved her mattress from the crib to the bed, Lauren took to it like a fish to water. She got this huge smile and jumped right onto the bed. Thus began our first lesson of sleeping in a bed: Do not jump up and down on the bed. After we finished our bed time routine of story, milk, and brushing of the teeth, it was time to see how well she would use this new contraption. Knowing her propensity for an "active" bed time, I stayed in the room to keep an eye on her. I then gave her the second rule of sleeping in a bed: If you get out of bed, you sleep in the crib. This seemed to work for about 20 minutes. She didn't stay still (sitting up, talking to me, playing with her stuffed animals), but she stayed on the bed. Then it happened, she hoped off the bed and started walking around the room. As I approached her, she ran back to the bed and laid down again. I began clearing things off so I could move the mattress back to the crib (we only have the one), which caused her to fuss.
I don't know if I wussed out here or sent mixed signals. She seemed to understand what I was doing and she didn't like it. She knew what she did to cause it and expressed remorse for it. My gut said to give the bed one more try. I placed everything back on the bed, she climbed in, covered up, and seemed to stay still. After another 10 minutes, I felt good enough to leave the room. I explained to her she was not to get out of the bed, but when morning came, she could call for me and I would get her. At this point I kissed her for the 30th time that night and left the room. I kept the door open only slightly just to see if she would stay. And I stood by that door for another 15 minutes (actually, I was standing in our bedroom watching TV, but I could see the door). I am still shocked at this, but she stayed in her bed. She talked for a little bit and let out those little cries she makes when falling asleep, but she did not leave her bed.
Now, we wait til morning. I've installed a chain on her door so she cannot open it on her own. Despite her tiny hands, Lauren is very good at opening doors and we felt this was the only way to keep her in her bedroom. All I have to do now is wake up at an ungodly hour tomorrow to make sure I am up before her. Prior to this, I would spend about 10-20 minutes in bed after she woke me up while she talked and did her little crib thing. For the next few weeks, I need to make sure I'm up before her to see what she will do during this time. I'll let you know how it goes.
posted by Eddie at 22:26
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