Over the last two years, we have faced and embraced challenge after challenge when it comes to our daughter Fern and sleeping. If you have a two year old, chances are you have faced YOUR share of sleeping (and other!) challenges too! It seems every developmental stage brings with it a new challenge, and as a parent its about finding that little grain from that beach of sand that provides a solution... until the next challenge presents itself!
After Elliott was born, old habits begun to sneak back... where once we would have been stoic about not dashing in to tend to every little sound that came from Fern's room, we now didn't want to risk waking a little baby (two babies crying at 2am? Let's not even go there...) and leapt to attend where really we should have left her to see if she would settle herself first. The outcome, of course, was a child that called out for our attention at all hours of the night. Not all the time, but enough to become an issue, especially when her baby brother was sleeping better through the night than she was!
What to do?
And a thought occured to me. Fern is two, and two year olds have vivid imaginations. Could it be dreams that were waking our daughter? Was she frightened of being in the dark, sitting up in her bed, unable to settle herself back under the covers?
I remembered a gift I had received when Fern was born. Something that had been in her room all along. Unused and untouched.
What was it? A little fairy nightlight. Well, what the hey? That night, I made a big deal of switching the light on for the first time. I showed Fern and explained to her that this was a very special fairy, that it was watching over her and that if she awoke in the night, it was ok because the fairy light was on and she was safe and she could simply lie back down and go to sleep. I went to bed that night fairly skeptical.
That was three weeks ago. And peeps? That lil fairy light has worked a merry treat! No more wakeups. No more call outs. And I'm off the hook..... til the next stage, that is!
Interested in a night light? There are loads of options in the baby stores, of course. But why not shop handmade? Here's a few Etsy options for you. Just an idea.
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| US $17 from here |
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| US $17.99 from here |
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| US $35 from here |
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| US$18 from here |
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| US$17 from here |
Have you used a nightlight for your kiddies? Has it worked?
