2 year old won't sleep in her room after tree fell through the roof.

[BettinaAuSucre]

So last week, while I was out of town, a bad storm blew through and a tree ended up falling through the kid's rooms roof.

Now my 2 year old seems extremely traumatized by this and refuses to sleep anytime in her room. Refuses naps and bedtime. While the roof was being repaired, we allowed her to sleep on an extra bed in another room that is currently being used as a room for a guest.


I am at my wit's end. I don't want to change her sleep routine too much by allowing her to sleep in another room because I'm afraid she would never go back to her bed.

I understand she is traumatized by the tree falling on our roof and I want to help her deal with it, but I feel I can do that while still keeping the same routine.

Am I * this* bad of a mother that I don't even know how to take care of my daughter's mental health?

[kittywitty]

Well, she *is* only 2 years old. I would be traumatized by that and I'm much older. Why can't you switch bedrooms so she has the guest room?

[StephandOwen]

I'm so sorry for your dd. I would be traumatized too.... and I'm 26! Is there anyway you can play musical rooms and move the kids room to the guest room and the guest room to the kids room?

Was your dc in the room when the tree fell?

Will she play in the room during the daytime? Is it just sleep that's setting her off or is it doing anything in the room?

[philomom]

Honestly, I'd be traumatized, too. Is there another bedroom upstairs she could move to? Just make her room the guest room and give her room to guests. It's just furniture.

[jessica_s]

I gotta agree with everyone else. I read the title of the thread and said Holy Crap I wouldn't either!!
I would probably be worried about just being able to get her to sleep, regardless of where that was. It probably IS likely to make some big changes in where she sleeps and her routine. She might need some more time to get back to normal. I wish I had some more helpful suggestions, most of the stuff I'm thinking of wouldn't really be helpful for a 2 year old!

[blizzard_babe]

Hmm, would it be an easier transition back to bedroom-as-a-safe-place if you or someone else slept in there WITH her? Otherwise, yeah, I wouldn't push it.

[RiverSky]

I'm surprised that you are surprised that she wouldn't want to sleep in that room, ever again.

I totally don't see the harm in her sleeping in the guest room, even if it's for 6 or 12 months. Honestly, I'm shocked she doesn't want to sleep with you in your room. Or have you refused to let her?

I am sure my 9 year old would be terrified to sleep in a room that had a tree crash through the roof and I would totally understand. A 2 year old is still a baby!! Yikes!

[crunchy_mommy]

I agree with everyone else that maybe switching the guest room to be her room would probably make the most sense. I wouldn't want to sleep in that room either!

But have you tried taking her outside & showing her the tree is gone? Looking out all the windows & showing her there is no more tree so nothing can fall on her? Obviously this would only help if there aren't a bunch more trees right over her room...

[BettinaAuSucre]

yeah i knew it...i am a terrible mother. I will switch rooms this weekend. my husband is out of town for his mother's funeral but i can do it by myself.

I wasn't surprised she wouldn't sleep in her own bed. I was just stupid enough to think that she would transition back after the room was fixed.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

YOU ARE NOT!!!! Sometimes when we have alot going on, its hard for us to empathize and sympathize with someone whose understanding and logic is very underdeveleoped. Especially if they are very verbal. We forget how little they still are.

That said, your daughter is only a couple weeks older then my first, and I gotta tell ya, I would expect that kid to be sleeping between my legs for the next six months if that happened, whether he was in the room when it happened or not.

can you just have her sleep with you for a bit, or perhaps put her bed in another room, but leave everything else the way it is?

[crunchy_mommy]

Oh you're not a bad mother!!

Sometimes we just need others' perspectives to make a decision. No big deal.

I agree with the pp that you could try just moving her bed (or just the mattress until your DH returns) for now... and maybe playing in her room during the day will help ease her anxiety.

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by BettinaAuSucre

yeah i knew it...i am a terrible mother.

No you aren't! Not at all! Sometimes it takes someone from the outside to see the situation in a different light. Earlier this week I had agreed to something that was definitely not in my ds's best interest. When I told dp about it we had a long talk. After a restless nights sleep I woke up with a "DUH.... WTH was I thinking??" moment. Now I can't believe I was going to agree to it, but in the moment it seemed to be the best I could do

[pacificbliss]

Originally Posted by BettinaAuSucre

yeah i knew it...i am a terrible mother. I will switch rooms this weekend. my husband is out of town for his mother's funeral but i can do it by myself.

I wasn't surprised she wouldn't sleep in her own bed. I was just stupid enough to think that she would transition back after the room was fixed.

Please don't be so hard on yourself. Sounds like a traumatic experience for everyone. I would say you don't even have to move all the furniture. just tell her she can keep sleeping on her temporary bed until she feels comfortable going back. i would validate her feelings, acknowledge that it was scary, keep talking about how it's fixed now and the tree is gone. She will heal and things will return to normal.

[Pippi L.]

I agree with everyone else -- you're not a terrible mother! It sounds like you have a lot going on. The combination of a tree falling through your roof, the repairs necessary to get it fixed, and then having your husband gone for his mother's funeral? That's enough to send anyone around the bend for a little while. Take it easy, let your daughter sleep where she can sleep, and maybe revisit moving her back to her regular room once things have settled down. And if I were you, I'd pour myself a nice glass of wine after the kids are asleep.