Before the nightmare about 2 months ago, DD1 (will be 3 next month) was going to bed by herself. We'd finish the bedtime routine and I'd put a gate at her door and I'd usually be back up a couple of times, but she would eventually go to sleep and we were all fine with it.
Enter the nightmare. She dreamed there was "a scary guy in her room". DD2 was about a month old at the time. So I stayed with her while she went to sleep and when she woke up during the night, she came to my bed and slept with me for the rest of the night.
I think we've conquered the fear at this point and that it's turned into an excuse to not go to bed. When she was only 16 mo, she was able to give me 4 reasons why she shouldn't go to bed and we've been through the "but I really have to go potty" every 10 minutes, when she lasts for hours during the day, so an excuse for bed is really nothing new.
Now if she would go to sleep quickly, I would love to stay and help her. Unfortunately, she can take hours! I've tried changing bedtime, but it doesn't make a difference; she's always been like this. Without the gate, she won't stay in her room. The gate was understandably an issue after the nightmare because it would make her trapped in the room with the guy from her dream.
I've been moving out gradually, but it's really not working. I'm in the hallway for hours telling her to go back to her room. I can keep myself busy, but it's not the work I really need to get done, and with a new baby, I really have no other time to get this work done. I'm dreading bedtime (it's always been the worst chore with her) and getting angry while I sit in the hallway for hours.
I really need some ideas!!!
Enter the nightmare. She dreamed there was "a scary guy in her room". DD2 was about a month old at the time. So I stayed with her while she went to sleep and when she woke up during the night, she came to my bed and slept with me for the rest of the night.
I think we've conquered the fear at this point and that it's turned into an excuse to not go to bed. When she was only 16 mo, she was able to give me 4 reasons why she shouldn't go to bed and we've been through the "but I really have to go potty" every 10 minutes, when she lasts for hours during the day, so an excuse for bed is really nothing new.
Now if she would go to sleep quickly, I would love to stay and help her. Unfortunately, she can take hours! I've tried changing bedtime, but it doesn't make a difference; she's always been like this. Without the gate, she won't stay in her room. The gate was understandably an issue after the nightmare because it would make her trapped in the room with the guy from her dream.
I've been moving out gradually, but it's really not working. I'm in the hallway for hours telling her to go back to her room. I can keep myself busy, but it's not the work I really need to get done, and with a new baby, I really have no other time to get this work done. I'm dreading bedtime (it's always been the worst chore with her) and getting angry while I sit in the hallway for hours.
I really need some ideas!!!
