About a month ago we started a sticker chart system for Gabby to earn a "big girl bed." After about three days of earning her stickers by not crying an going to bed nicely, she climbed out of her bed. The next day she attempted to do the same thing again. She found a way around the sticker chart system, but we didn't want her to realize this.
One day she spent the night at my parents' house so Michael and I could have a date night and go to a Halloween party. When Gabby came gone the next day and went into her room she discovered her big girl bed!
We kept the sticker chart and told her we would take her big girl bed away and she would have to go back into a crib if she did not stay in her bed. Amazingly she stays in her bed all night; however, nap times are a different story. She no longer cries when we put her to bed and goes to bed with a lot less protesting. We just knew that the transition from crib to bed was going to be weeks of sleeplessness for us, but like always she surprised us.
The funniest part if her bed is when people ask her about her "big girl bed." Gabby excitedly tells anyone who will listen that Daddy broke her bed and made it into a big bed that she can get out of. She is doing wonderfully in her bed. She stays in it and sleeps through the night. I think she loves the liberation of a big girl bed. Her "big girl bed" transition has actually made putting Gabby to bed a pleasant event, rather than the headache it used to be. I think since we waited until she was at an age where she understands the rules and the consequences of breaking the rules it makes the bed the best decision we've made. I suppose it's the universe taking pity on us. It must figure we've paid our dues with two and a half years of protesting bed time. Thank you universe for the reprieve!
One day she spent the night at my parents' house so Michael and I could have a date night and go to a Halloween party. When Gabby came gone the next day and went into her room she discovered her big girl bed!
We kept the sticker chart and told her we would take her big girl bed away and she would have to go back into a crib if she did not stay in her bed. Amazingly she stays in her bed all night; however, nap times are a different story. She no longer cries when we put her to bed and goes to bed with a lot less protesting. We just knew that the transition from crib to bed was going to be weeks of sleeplessness for us, but like always she surprised us.
The funniest part if her bed is when people ask her about her "big girl bed." Gabby excitedly tells anyone who will listen that Daddy broke her bed and made it into a big bed that she can get out of. She is doing wonderfully in her bed. She stays in it and sleeps through the night. I think she loves the liberation of a big girl bed. Her "big girl bed" transition has actually made putting Gabby to bed a pleasant event, rather than the headache it used to be. I think since we waited until she was at an age where she understands the rules and the consequences of breaking the rules it makes the bed the best decision we've made. I suppose it's the universe taking pity on us. It must figure we've paid our dues with two and a half years of protesting bed time. Thank you universe for the reprieve!
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