My son Matthew is almost three and a half years old and is starting to have a very wild imagination. He is at the age where he wakes up having nightmares and bad dreams. I haven't been sleeping too well at night because he keeps waking me up crying. It's been very hard to calm him down or to show him that there are no monsters and nothing to be afraid of.
I came up with the idea a few nights ago to do a "Monster Check!" I go around his bedroom with him and we check in each closet, he has two, to make sure that there are no monsters. Then we look in the toy box, no monsters. Last, we look under his bed and ask him if there are any monsters underneath his bed, and he says no. Then he gets into bed with no issues and goes to bed just fine. Tonight he had to do his "Monster Check" before we read stories, and then again after we were done reading books to him. The past two nights, tonight will be the third, he hasn't woke up at all! How cool is that!!! I am so glad that I thought to do this and show him that there is nothing to be afraid of! I hope that the "Monster Check" works for a while anyways. I really could use more sleep, and less waking up in the middle of the night several times because he is scared.
Now, if I can just figure out how to get my 19 month old daughter to sleep through the night with her teething going on, we'll be set! (She just got tooth #5, her first molar. She has her 4 front teeth and one molar, so her gums are very sore and swollen. She keeps waking up at night throwing tantrums, and she won't stop until I nurse her.)
LOL - Glad you have things under control again!
ReplyDeleteWhen my oldest went through that stage, I filled a spray bottle with water and a drop of fabric softener. We used our "monster spray" to make sure they wouldn't show up after I left the room.
My littlest is getting close to that stage. Thanks for the reminder - I need to go get a spray bottle soon!
Cute. I have a grandson who spends the night with us quite a bit, and I wind up giving him a bath (guy thing, you know).
ReplyDeleteAs a pilot I am always encouraging him to get interested in airplanes, so as I help him bathe we clean the various limbs as thus: "ailerons, left and right (arms); rollers, left and right (legs); fuselage (back); cockpit (face) - you get the idea.
I hope it all takes!
When I was alittle girl my mom went on monster hunts and scared them all away for us. I love knowing that moms still hunt monsters. That they scare them away so little ones once again can sleep in peace. I never had to go for monter hunts for my girls but .. I do remember my mom doing so. Found you on Surfing Saturday blog hop.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather! I am here to follow you back. :) Thanks for the follow!
ReplyDeleteMy 8 month is in the middle of teething too...we haven't been sleeping through the night in awhile around here.
I found a night light helped my 2 1/2 year old not be scared each night. This really helped her tremendously. We also pray before bed each night that God would keep her safe and help her have good dreams. Seems to work well. :)
Thank you everyone for the sweet comments. @Sally, we have a night light in his bedroom, but he was still getting scared. So checking for monsters before he goes to bed is working for now.
ReplyDelete@Alicia, can't use a spray bottle, he would abuse it and he has no night stand to put it on. My husband wouldn't like that idea. I have heard of that idea though.