It actually happened a few weeks ago. Lydia had an uninvited guest in her crib one morning. The cat had jumped in and made herself quite comfortable. After hearing Lydi scream, I decided to take care of the cat and be prepared to stand firm on letting the cat know, she could not go back. The next day, it happened again and we decided to give up on the cat and just lock her out of the upstairs rooms. We did so and Lydi slept fine until the morning. One sibling had decided to look for a lost toy downstairs and failed to close the door on the way back. Lydi awoke, screaming to find the cat in her crib. To our dismay her fear escalated. Naptime was a disaster in her crib, so to keep the peace, I willingly allowed Lydi to sleep in my bed. That night, however, Lydi was certain the cat would come into her crib again and refused to be quiet. We even showed her the door was shut and that she would be safe. Tim decided to give one more option. He pointed to the bottom bunk and suggested that she sleep there. Lydi was delighted and willingly slept there that night. We rejoiced in our bedroom that night amazed at how easy the transition had been in putting her in her new bed.
We thought that was the end of the story, but Lydi began to have great fears at naptimes and bedtimes that the cat would sleep in her bed. I was too tired to deal with it during the day and so allowed her to sleep with me in my bed, but the rest was not the same and shortened for both of us. Sunday came...Mommy and Daddy's normal time to nap with Lydi in her own bed. Lydi, however, did not agree. She screamed and hollered, upsetting me and convincing Daddy to finally sleep with her in her big bed. The following week, I followed suit and did not fight the sleep at naptime in separate beds. I convinced myself that I enjoyed having my little two year old sleeping with me, but it did put a damper on the length of naptime. I knew this couldn't go on forever and we would need to do something about it. This past Sunday Daddy decided to make the effort to teach Lydi to sleep in her own bed at naptime. It worked...but took nearly 45 minutes of screaming, yelling, and fighting on Lydi's part. Daddy faithfully gave her the rules and guidelines. If she tried to get out of her big bed, she had to go back into her crib. She, of course, didn't want to go back into her crib where she might be trapped with the cat and so screamed. Daddy then told her she had to lay down and be quiet before he would put her back into her big bed. She would do as he had said and he would put her back in her big bed only to fight her getting back out again. Back and forth Daddy went laying her down, setting the rules, and leaving. Lydi finally got to the point of submission and willingly stayed in her big bed without crying and she fell asleep exhausted. Bedtime followed suit, though taking much less of an effort for Lydi to submit. She knew Kiersten would be in the room this time, sleeping on the top bunk.
The next day, it was my turn. Because I had given in throughout the past week, I knew we were in for a battle. I was prepared and ready with Daddy home to back me up if needed. I followed Daddy's example from the day before with his coaching from the sidelines. It took me a little over an hour of repetitive action: laying her down, setting the rules, and leaving. But after Lydi got to the point of submissive willingness, she fell asleep again in exhaustion...and Mommy did too! That night was similar as the night before with Mommy trying at the start and Daddy finishing with a much more commanding spirit. Praise the LORD for Daddies!
Today, I was ready for another round, though this time without Daddy's support. It could've been a rough day. Taking Lydi up for a nap, I clearly set the rules: "No getting out of bed. No screaming and no yelling, or I will have put you in your crib." Lydi agreed and submitted to the standard, "No crying, no whining." She was content to be quiet and sleep in her big bed. And all was quiet! I was completely thrilled and though too excited to sleep I am feeling well rested indeed!
