I think tonight it happened....

I hit a mommy low. To give you some backgroud...DD has always been amazing when it's come to bedtime. Out of nowhere 3 weeks ago she would not go to her room at night or get in bed. She would fall asleep on couch and we'd bring her up. I bought stars that light up thinking that might be incentive. She stood in bed for 2 nights with me on floor and I snuck out when she fell asleep. Her teachers told me if she gives me a hard time just keep putting her in bed...no talking or making eye contact with her.
Fast forward: yesterday she had bad cold and fever. Fell asleep on couch. Today she was better. As soon as I said it was time for bed all he'll broke loose. I took her upstairs with her kicking and screaming. She would not get into bed. She carried on so much she physically got sick.
I don't know what to do anymore. I know she gets into routines do fast and I never should have gotten her in a habit of falling asleep on couch. I tried doing what her teachers told me, but never thought shed get sick. I'm exhausted trying to figure out the right thing to do. Do I fight this battle every night with her making herself sick or think it's not the worst thing in the world for her to fall asleep on couch? Sorry this is so long. Just feel bad that she got so upset she made herself sick and I don't know how to make things better fir her!

Re: I think tonight it happened....

i wish i had an answer for you. and it happens.. even with typical children.

you are not alone.

Re: I think tonight it happened....

DS is REFUSING to sleep as I am typing. He has had a tantrum for the past 3 hours. He has been in and out of his room. Hit me a few times. Hit the dog. Got sent back to his room.

He has refused to sleep without a tantrum for the past 2 weeks. I have had to take my pillow and sleep in his bed tantrum after tantrum.

It's a complete nightmare. He has been sick. It's not helping. He does it in phases. It's completely inconsistent. I am always sleep deprived.

I feel your pain!

Re: I think tonight it happened....

I don't know if I have any advice, but thought you could use these.


One of the things my DH and I talk about a lot is that it is so hard to figure out how much of the behavior is due to DS's issues and how much of it is normal toddler or preschooler behavior. The teachers will tell you to tough it out and try to get her to sleep in her bed. Sometimes you have to choose your battles and do whatever works to keep your family functioning. I do find that when I let my DS fall into a habit I don't like it is 1000 times harder to get him to stop the habit if I allow it to continue for even a few days. I gave my DS crackers at breakfast time twice, and he still asks me for crackers every. single. morning. for the last 6 months or more. He asks every single day, I say no every single day, and I think he thinks eventually he will wear me down and I will cave. I know this is a minor thing, but he has had meltdowns some mornings because he can't have crackers. But, I think this is something a typical kid would do, and I also think what your DD is doing is something a typical kid would do.

What I would try to do is get her back in the bed and see how it goes. She's not sick anymore, she sleeps in her bed. What generally happens in our house when we introduce something new is we have a hellish first week, the next week is a little better, and then it seems to kick in the week after that. Try it for a week and see what happens - I am not an expert, but I think she knows that if she gets sick, you will give in. I would clean up the vomit, change her and put her right back into bed.

It's hard.