So 2 weeks ago, after all our summer travels were over and Kiley had slept in a big bed each trip, I got the great idea to convert her crib to a "big girl bed" (aka toddler day bed) in hopes of making it a reward for giving up her pacie at night. We made a big deal out of it telling her many times "you have a big girl bed now and big girls don't have pacies" Well the first night didn't go so well, as she started telling us "me KiKi baby, KiKi no like big girl bed" and Paul ended up giving her pacie to her- way to be strong daddy.
She loves her big girl bed at all times except when it is time to go to sleep. But I stuck to my guns and after the first or second night, I didn't give into her. It has been 2 weeks now and still not going well! It usually takes about 45 min-1hr of her crying and throwing a tantrum to get her to sleep rather it be nap time or bedtime. I have tried rocking, singing, reading, rubbing her back, spanking, threatening her, letting her pick out anything to sleep with, and anything else I can think of to get her to go to sleep. The only thing that has worked is daddy, for some reason when he goes in there he can get her to sleep! Guess he has the magic touch, which doesn't help me much for nap time! I even took her into the pediatrician's office on Friday thinking for sure she had an ear infection that that was why she didn't want to sleep, especially after asking her if her ears hurt and her saying "yes mommy ear huts". After explaining the situation and looking in her ears, he asked me if I was going to be mad if he told me her ears were completely clear!
After a friends advice, we took her to pick out "anything she wanted for her big girl bed and for giving up her pacie". Again, making a very big deal out of it. She picked out a Barbie pillow and carried it around all day, very excited about it, until nap time came. When we told her it was time to go up to her big girl bed with her new Barbie pillow, she threw it down, kicked it, and said "no like Barbie pillow, me no night night"........needless to say Cason is still in his crib!
Bless her heart. We tried giving up binky around 2ish and it was a dismal failure. I just couldn't take it. It had been gone a week or two and I was SO tired of fighting them on it. So, we kept it at naptime/bedtime only and we did a big binky giveaway a month before their 3rd birthday and I am not laying a bit when I say the only one who cried was me. They were ready, understood and did awesome!
ReplyDeleteI mean I am not LYING a bit, perhaps I should spell check before posting...
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