I just have to post this so I can look back and remember. My adorable, sweet-natured son has started refusing to go to sleep when I, and only I, put him down - nap and night. We go thru the normal bedtime routine (which differs only slightly from how Daddy does it) and when it's time to lay down he screams...and screams...and screams some more. Now he has done this to a lesser extent for the past month or two, but I was always able to go back in, rock him for a few minutes and he'd lay down and fall asleep. Or Michael would go in and tell him good-night and that was the last of it. Now he just wants Mommy to rock and cuddle and rock some more. Ugh! Brings back flashbacks of Hannah at this age (but in a big bed) when we lived in an apartment for a few months and she wouldn't let me leave her room. My kids are strong-willed to say the least.
So last Friday night, Michael went to our Sunday School 'guys night' social. They got together to watch the basketball tournament at a friend's house about 10 minutes away. Luke knew Daddy was gone and he took full advantage! Hannah had a classmate over for a play date so the girls were still playing while I was putting him down. Daddy is gone and Sissy has a friend still over - two things out of place. Anywhoo....I tried everything to get the kid to fall asleep. After about an hour and a half of no success I was starting to get super frustrated and knowing that crying it out never works with him, I knew it would be a long night. Now I should have been more consistent thru the process. Sometimes I'd pat him, talk to him and when I did rock him he would say "bed" so I'd put him down, he'd be fine, I'd go to bed and he's start the wailing/screaming/Mommy calling. I have had an upper respiratory infection and asthma at night so I had little patience/energy for this behavior. I dealt with it another 30 minutes and then broke down and asked Michael to come home. Sure enough, Michael walks into Luke's room, pats his chest and and tells him to say "goodnight to Daddy" and he falls fast asleep. After almost 2.5 hours of crying, he goes to bed for his Dad in 10 seconds! Unbelievable.
Needless to say we are revising our plan for bedtime and trying a few things. Both parents will do exact same bedtime routine, we will both go in if needed to pat and say good night, "big boys don't need to rock anymore", "when you're in your bed you stay in bed", etc., etc. Soooooo hoping we nip this in the bud before Michael goes to to Oklahoma next week on business!
2 comments:
Now, when you called Michael to come get him, did you scream, "Don't forget THE QUESO!" into the phone? Because that would have been remniscent of Hannah's younger days! Hee hee! ;o)
Ha! Was not quite like that but pretty close. I am a little more subtle now..sort of.
J text: "ur son has been fighting sleep"
M text: "you headed to bed?"
J text: "I was but he's still crying been at this almost 1.5 hours"
M text: "You want me to come home?"
J text: "No"
J text 1 hour later: "He is just going to have to cry himself to sleep. I can't deal anymore"
Sure enough the alpha was home 30 min later and he was out. Pathetic.
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