at 11:40 pm trying not to look over my shoulder because my 4 yo is standing there waiting for me to make eye contact. She sleeps terrible. I went out tonight and got my first childless break in weeks. She woke up when I got home and came down. I have put her back in bed twice, but she keeps getting up mentioning an owie, snakes, needing her painting from earlier today, not wanting covers on her bed. She is now working on DH who is watching TV. She cries real tears, but I know she is stalling. She wakes up every night and crawls in our bed in the middle of the night because of bad dreams and various reasons. She has never slept in our bed up until the past couple weeks.
Should I be punishing her for not going to bed right now because I know she is stalling or should I be sympathetic to her fears about snakes, bugs and bad dreams. I have read bad dream books to her and talked about how she can turn bad dreams into good dreams. Is this cry for attention something I should be firm with or what. It drives me crazy because I dread every night putting her to bed takes forever. We follow a nightly routine already. I just don't know what to do with her. I can't find my book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". I am feeling at wits end and it has been affecting my productivity for other things since after she finally goes to bed, I don't want to do anything else.
Any suggestions from vetran parents?
P.S. She is so dramatic about everything that something is going to bite her and she will die. She covers her mouth when we go outside because she doesn't want bugs to fly in her mouth. Is this an age appropriate thing?
Jennifer
Should I be punishing her for not going to bed right now because I know she is stalling or should I be sympathetic to her fears about snakes, bugs and bad dreams. I have read bad dream books to her and talked about how she can turn bad dreams into good dreams. Is this cry for attention something I should be firm with or what. It drives me crazy because I dread every night putting her to bed takes forever. We follow a nightly routine already. I just don't know what to do with her. I can't find my book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". I am feeling at wits end and it has been affecting my productivity for other things since after she finally goes to bed, I don't want to do anything else.
Any suggestions from vetran parents?
P.S. She is so dramatic about everything that something is going to bite her and she will die. She covers her mouth when we go outside because she doesn't want bugs to fly in her mouth. Is this an age appropriate thing?
Jennifer
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