Lately, I'm feeling defeated as a mother. Overall, Annabelle is good. She did well in school, we are having some attitude issues (but she is six, so it is expected though thoroughly annoying), I have fun things planned for our summer. Our days have been going along pretty swimmingly until night-time comes around.
For the past month maybe more, five, six weeks- we've been having issues at bedtime. She is insisting that she can't and doesn't ever sleep. At first I thought it was because it doesn't get dark until close to 10pm. We were/are letting her stay up past the regular eight o'clock bedtime. She goes up around 8:45, then plays or reads books by herself until we tell her to lay down. Within minutes she's calling one of us, pleading for us to call the doctor because something is wrong with her.
We are at our wits end, or at least I am. My anxiety at bedtime is so high right now. We've tried everything I can think of. She's slept downstairs on the couch, put up a tent on her bed to keep out extra light, I've read books, sang On Top of Spaghetti and You are My Sunshine more times than I can count, rubbed her back, played music on her radio, played a rain CD- all to have her still be asking for the doctor.
I'm frustrated.
I have no idea what to try next.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Maybe you should have a little visit to the MD? If nothing else it should put Annabelle's fears to rest that she's ok. May sound extreme but might be helpful! You might also try letting her stay up a little later (I know that's hard,nice to have alone time with hubby) I did that with my kids but told them that if they woke up grumpy in the morning they would go to bed earlier that night....It worked! Good luck, dont you wish parenting came with a manual :)
ReplyDeleteI remember as a kid, I used to come to my parents room nearly every night complaining that my stomach hurt- I think that it actually hurt but I think it was also a stalling issue. My mom would always say to go lay on my left side and take a tums. I grew to hate those words of advice. My mom did take me to the Dr and basically said that I was having anxiety about the next day or being alone in my room or whatever. My son has been getting up and doing the same thing. He asks every night-- "Did you lock all the doors?" I think its just that age when fear overrides reality. Knowing that you are still awake and doing things without her is probably why she says she can't sleep-- as a reason to stay up later. My kids all are in bed by 9, or 9:15-- they go to daycare every day and are up by 6:30am- I am usually in bed very soon after so I try to express that MOMMY has to get some sleep too. Lets all get some sleep so we can have a fun day tomorrow. Stay in your bed, and we'll get donuts in the morning. Stay in your bed and yes bribe-- I've done it. Create a chart that shows if she stays in her bed for 5 days without getting up, she can get a huge toy or go somewhere like chuck e cheese or something huge and rewarding. sorry to be so longwinded.
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