Oh, my child. I am reading the book, "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Harvey Karp and according to that book, Elliot's temperment could be considered "spirited." Let me tell you, he sure is.
So today is Sunday, and Wednesday night was the first night that Elliot slept in a big boy bed. The first night went suprisingly OK- he stayed in his bed and he came to our room at 5 am. The next night he came to his door once, and came into our room at 4 am. The third night, he kept getting out of his bed, so I finally went in his room with him and laid there until he fell asleep. Then he came into our room at 3, so I had to go lay with him again.
Yesterday was quite the fun adventure. According to a lot of stuff I have read, a good way to handle a child that won't stay in their crib is to continue to take them back to bed without saying anything to them or making any eye contact with them. For Elliot's naptime, I put him down at noon, determined to follow through with the plan, because the other key is consistency. I had to have taken him back to his room over 50 times between noon and 1:24. Finally at 1:24 I had enough, and it didn't look like there was going to be any end in sight, so I locked the door and shut it. Sounds kind of mean, doesn't it? I let him cry for 20 minutes and suddenly he stopped. I gave it a few more minutes before I went to his room and unlocked the door. When I open the door it wouldn't move; Elliot had cried himself to sleep in front of the door. I got the door opened and put him in bed, and he took a good nap after that.
I am sure you are asking, "So how did the night go then?" Well, suprisingly, it went really well! Mark and I talked it through before bedtime so we were both on the same page as far as our game plan. We were going to put him to bed, and if he got out, we would put him back silently and gently. I put Elliot to bed, and as I was walking out the door, he was climbing out of bed. I went and sat down and Mark said, "OK, give it a few minutes."
So, Elliot laid in the hallway for 4 minutes and Mark went and put him back to bed. We did this same scenario 3 more times, waiting a little longer in between each time to go get him. After the fourth time, he put himself to bed and went to sleep!! I really couldn't believe it considering how horribly naptime had gone.
I woke up at 5 am this morning, and looked down the hall, and there laid Elliot, on the floor in the hallway. I got up to go to the bathroom at 4, and he wasn't there, so I know he hasn't been there too long, but he hasn't come to our room! I am waiting to see if another thing we are trying is working; we put a light on a timer and told him when the light comes on, he can come into our room. That light should be going on in 3 minutes. I am anxiously waiting to see if a 29 month old child can comprehend the concept of "waiting for the light."
And the verdict is: He came walking in at 6:04 saying, "Here I am!"
I asked him if the turtle light came on and he said, "Yeah!"
Oh my gosh, I think my child is growing up.
So today is Sunday, and Wednesday night was the first night that Elliot slept in a big boy bed. The first night went suprisingly OK- he stayed in his bed and he came to our room at 5 am. The next night he came to his door once, and came into our room at 4 am. The third night, he kept getting out of his bed, so I finally went in his room with him and laid there until he fell asleep. Then he came into our room at 3, so I had to go lay with him again.
Yesterday was quite the fun adventure. According to a lot of stuff I have read, a good way to handle a child that won't stay in their crib is to continue to take them back to bed without saying anything to them or making any eye contact with them. For Elliot's naptime, I put him down at noon, determined to follow through with the plan, because the other key is consistency. I had to have taken him back to his room over 50 times between noon and 1:24. Finally at 1:24 I had enough, and it didn't look like there was going to be any end in sight, so I locked the door and shut it. Sounds kind of mean, doesn't it? I let him cry for 20 minutes and suddenly he stopped. I gave it a few more minutes before I went to his room and unlocked the door. When I open the door it wouldn't move; Elliot had cried himself to sleep in front of the door. I got the door opened and put him in bed, and he took a good nap after that.
I am sure you are asking, "So how did the night go then?" Well, suprisingly, it went really well! Mark and I talked it through before bedtime so we were both on the same page as far as our game plan. We were going to put him to bed, and if he got out, we would put him back silently and gently. I put Elliot to bed, and as I was walking out the door, he was climbing out of bed. I went and sat down and Mark said, "OK, give it a few minutes."
So, Elliot laid in the hallway for 4 minutes and Mark went and put him back to bed. We did this same scenario 3 more times, waiting a little longer in between each time to go get him. After the fourth time, he put himself to bed and went to sleep!! I really couldn't believe it considering how horribly naptime had gone.
I woke up at 5 am this morning, and looked down the hall, and there laid Elliot, on the floor in the hallway. I got up to go to the bathroom at 4, and he wasn't there, so I know he hasn't been there too long, but he hasn't come to our room! I am waiting to see if another thing we are trying is working; we put a light on a timer and told him when the light comes on, he can come into our room. That light should be going on in 3 minutes. I am anxiously waiting to see if a 29 month old child can comprehend the concept of "waiting for the light."
And the verdict is: He came walking in at 6:04 saying, "Here I am!"
I asked him if the turtle light came on and he said, "Yeah!"
Oh my gosh, I think my child is growing up.
2 comments:
Keep it up! By next week he will be all set! I can't believe he got the light concept, that is perfect!!
I LOVED the post about him falling asleep in the hallway, I laughed out loud!!!! He is growing up and soon enough you won't have this to worry about, you'll be on to bigger things like when he plays his music too loud "But MOM . . . " and you won't be able to drag him out of bed before noon!
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