Bedtime Blues ends with Eyes Wide Shut





Have you ever lain in your parent’s bed as kid? Wasn’t there this overwhelming since of comfort that almost instantly lulled you to sleep?

My 4 year old has refused to sleep in her crib since she was one.  Yes, I have been lectured about my daughter sleeping in everyone else’s bed but her own by every “super” mom that I know. I have also had some not-so-super mom’s point their condescending fingers at me. But, listen, I tried I really tried… and this is what happened.

Once upon a time, I placed my daughter in her crib at her usual bedtime.  My husband had set the crib to the lowest setting to prevent her from climbing out earlier that week. We sang, read stories, prayed, kissed, hugged, and then bid our little angel farewell till morning. As my husband settled in on the couch to watch a movie, we heard a question call. You know, when your kid calls you with just enough of a high pitch inflection to let you know that they are a bit confused by your behavior – ma-ma? da-da? She then began to chant our names. At this point one of us would usually go get her, but we stood firm on our decision to let her stay in the crib. Then it got tricky, she went from a whining chant to full blown crying – screaming tears and all. This went on for about 15 minutes and then it got quiet. We were getting ready to celebrate when we heard a suspicious thud.

There was our toddler, lying face down in the beige colored carpet, wind totally knocked out of her. As I ran to her aid, I cursed myself for listening to my pediatrician, who told me to let her cry. I frantically picked her up, checking every nook, cranny, and cavity for injury. She wasn’t crying, just staring at me. I think she was in shock that she was able to get out of a crib since her head barely reached the top rail.

In that moment, I felt like the worst mom ever. I kept looking at her, checking her, and beating myself up about it. I know she is a climber. She has been climbing on everything since before she could walk. Why did I think she would not find a way to climb out of a crib when she could climb a 4 ft. bar stool? A doctor’s visit confirmed what my husband tried to assure me of that night, she was fine.

After that, the crib was broken down in a toddler bed. But, she still wouldn’t sleep in it, though we tried on many occasions over the past three years to convince her she should. As you may have guessed she simply used her new found freedom to climb into other people’s beds. Her favorite spot, after my husband kicked her out of our bed, became her oldest brother’s room down the hall. She would climb into his bed at night and then put him in a choke hold so he couldn’t leave her by herself. And that is where I find her every morning… sleep wrestling with her brother in a headlock position.

Well, make a long story short, I purchased new mattresses for everyone, including my daughter over the past several months. I even purchased her a Disney princess toddler bed. But she would cry every time I put her in the room until… I placed my old queen sized bed in her room and voila; she laid in her bed without shedding a single tear. She asked lots of questions first, then we sang, read stories, prayed, kissed, hugged, and I bid her farewell till morning. She rolled over hugged her pink and purple Pillow Pet and went to sleep.

Ah-ha, it’s the bed!

*Lexington Platform Bed from Boston Bed