Big Girl Bed: The Aftermath

We survived Alyce's first night in her new room and I am happy to say that everyone made it through without any bumps or bruises.

In Alyce's room we have both her toddler bed and a full size bed. When I tried to put her down for the night I first put her into her toddler bed. She would only lay there if I read her a story. After the second book it was time for her to go to sleep. This is when the tears started. She pointed to the full size bed, I asked if she wanted to sleep there, and she nodded approval. So we go about moving into the big bed. I laid next to her to keep her quiet hoping that she would calm down enough to fall asleep. This kept her calm but not asleep until Mommy came to relieve me at 9:00. The tears started again.

Mom picked up where I left off; she tried to lay next to Alyce with the same results. After a time Mom decided to channel the Super Nanny as we were getting nowhere. Super Nanny, a show on ABC depicts the troubles parents have with themselves and their children with the Super Nanny coming in to provide expert advice. The bed time advice of the Super Nanny is to put the kid in bed, if the kid gets out, then keep putting them back in until they give up. On the show this can take upwards of two hours before the kids give up from pure exhaustion.

Mom pushed the big bed against the wall on two sides and put up railing on a third side leaving only the foot of the bed available for egress. Mom put Alyce in the bed with her baby doll, blanket, and pillows. Mom had to put her in bed again, and again. But on the third try Alyce stayed. She wasn't happy about it but she stayed and eventually fell asleep.

Things remained calm until 12:30 when Alyce woke up again asking for Mommy. Before Mommy could get out of bed and down the hall Alyce had already fallen back askeep. From that point on Alyce slept through the night into morning.