Tough Love
Son, it is time for some tough love. We are a week into the third round of the toddler bed. Before your mother and me did not have the energy to fully invest ourselves into getting you to stay asleep in your room. You would come crawl into bed with us, kicking me in the back, sleeping horizontal pushing me off the side of the bed knocking me out cold as I hit the corner of my nightstand. It’s all find and dandy for your bed but when you don’t push me out of bed you wake me up.
Mom and dad need their sleep and so do you. So we are laying down the law, we will be closing your door and letting you cry it out. Sounds cruel but we are doing it, the book that your pediatrician suggested. Remember you hate him not us, he is the one who is sticking you with needles!
We do not want to do this as much as you do not want the feelings of abandonment. Rest assured though, we are there for you, across the house and dead asleep, but we are there. It will take some time getting used to. I am sure that it will take a couple of days of screaming bloody murder right by your door and possibly going to sleep right by the door. Another piece of advice son, if you can just stay in bed, when your mother and I walk into your room we might hit you in the head, which would make things worse.
Someday you will understand that sleeping is one of the greatest joy’s a person can have in life. You will feel recharged full of energy and ready to throw snowballs at daddy…
© The Rookie Dad
We love you son, we are not trying to be cruel or punish you. This is only for the greater good trust us! You may hate us for a couple of days but after that you will be fine I am sure, after you tell us about all of your new friends that you will be meeting at your new day-care. We just don’t want you going to day-care looking like this…
© The Rookie Dad
Posted on January 4, 2013, in Parenting and tagged Baby, Child, Children, Dad, Daddy, Family, father, Fatherhood, Fathers, Health, home, Kids, Life, mom, mommy, Mother, motherhood, Parent, parenthood, parenting, Toddler, Tough love. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
The Rookie Dad 
I know all too well the battles with staying in bed. Right now our 2 1/2 year old is getting out of his crib every morning, sometimes at 2am, sometimes at 5. Thankfully he stays in his room and plays and looks at books. Still, he needs to learn to stay in bed. I have no real words of wisdom or any sort of “fix” for this. Just to let you know you’re not alone.
Our 3 year is the same way. It’s horrible. With our first born we just put a gate across the door and in 3 cruel nights it was over, and he is our best sleeper. The youngest…he’ll wake the entire house. He goes to bed fine, he just gets up between 11 and 2am and gets in my bed. I wake with aches and pains from contorting in order to not get kicked. Good luck tonight!
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