transition to big-kid bed

[spotty_dog]

How about a lovey? DD chooses which baby to sleep with each night, as well as which fuzzy blanket. Also, there's a bunch of suggestions in the book Sleepless In America for helping a kiddo release tension so they can sleep...stuff that helps them identify the things that calm them, for example. It's not great for very little kids but wonderful for verbal ones.

[alison]

Thank you! I bought the book (just $9) for my kindle while dd was in preschool, and quickly skimmed the transitions chapter.

I was chatting with a mom after school about this, and she's a nutritionist. She just sent me some food ideas for dd that might help her feel fuller, more rested at night. It could very well be that she's starving!

[Sheherezade]

We did the same as spotty. Never needed a snack or smack. . I'm very good at boring mommy. Since DH was is fellowship/residency it was just me most nights - honestly I think that made it easier and more consistent. Stick with whatever method you choose for at least a week and you should see results.

[alison]

I fed dd off the list of foods the nutritionist mom gave me yesterday, and hoped for the best. Last night she was so exhausted that the light sleep phases were brief enough that she didn't notice that neither of us were there with her. We went to bed at the same time she went to bed at 8ish and she and she slept through until 6:45. It felt sooooo good!

[ladymoreta]

Yay!!! That's wonderful news! It's so miserable when they're not sleeping!

[alison]

The owl is funny, Laurie, now that i see you here. I set it for 7:30am, which is early for her. She woke up too early, brought me the owl, and said "it's brokenED. Change the batteries so that it's green when I wake up. "

[ladymoreta]

The owl is funny, Laurie, now that i see you here. I set it for 7:30am, which is early for her. She woke up too early, brought me the owl, and said "it's brokenED. Change the batteries so that it's green when I wake up. "

Haha! I think SJ's daughter came to the same conclusion, didn't she? Ah well, maybe she'll get it soon, or hopefully she'll go back to sleeping long enough even without it!

[scrub-jay]

Haha! I think SJ's daughter came to the same conclusion, didn't she? Ah well, maybe she'll get it soon, or hopefully she'll go back to sleeping long enough even without it!

Yep! My daughter never really understood that the clock dictates the rules, not her.

[alison]

Ok... Something that possibly fits my dd's personality a bit better, since she is totally into Santa and has been curious about the tooth fairy.

I bring you the Sleep Fairy. She'd better not let me down!

http://www.behavenkids.com/main/book...e-sleep-fairy/

[Phoebe]

I forgot! We totally used the sleep fairy for DD1 when she was younger. It worked great, but not for DD2. With the sleep fairy, I started out big to hook her and then scaled down.

[ladymoreta]

That sounds really cute! Good luck!

[alison]

I hope to be able to get ahold of the book today. When dd woke up overnight and claimed she wasn't tired, I briefly mentioned the sleep fairy, and that she would make a visit if she slept through morning. That actually freaked dd out--she didn't want the fairy to come into her room! . I shouldn't have tried this strategy at 3am. I'll try again today when she has the wherewithal to ask questions.

[alison]

She fell asleep on her own and slept all the way through. I heard her at her usual 3am, and she managed to fall back asleep on her own! The fairy left a little container of playdoh!