I need some help! The last few nights Noah has complained about being scared to go to sleep. He says there are monsters in his closet and he has "nightmare dreams". What should I do? We've tried telling him there are no such things are monsters. We've turned on the light and looked in the closet with a flashlight to show him there's nothing in there. We've told him he can pray/sing church songs to make him feel better. He actually does feel better then, but a few minutes later his mind starts wandering and he's scared again. He's been wandering into our bedroom too after he gets scared (sometimes at 2am, sometimes 7am). Anyone else dealt with this? Please share your parenting secrets. I want to nip this in the bud before it becomes a big issue. Oh we also read "There is a Nightmare in my Closet" and he went to bed with a gun so he could shoot his nightmare.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Noah's afraid to go to sleep
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8 comments:
Poor Noah's arm. So far I have been lucky not to encounter the broken bones. Don't ask me how. Sorry no advice for you on the scared thing. We have had to put a small night light in Ashlie's room and she has not complained of the dark. She doesn't know about monsters yet!!
ella did the same thing we read scriptures before we go to bed and we tell her if shes scared to think of jesus she has a small pass along card she holds. some mornigs she even tells me that jesus got the crickets last night! she has a thing about scary crickets! i dont know what else to do besides what your doing but a small picture might work or when he does come into your room kneel down in pray the instant you see him and then take him back to bed. just a thought! good luck. Ellas has had night terrors since she was like 1 we have to be very careful what she watches and what we even read!
Man let me know what works for you when you find out! As far as my advise even though I don't have this stage yet would be to not make it a reward to come into your room at nights or he may start using this as a way to spend more time with you. I love the idea of praying with him and think that everything should be in his room. Like if you decide to fall asleep with him make it in his bed and maybe for a week do that, but everyday move farther away. I have heard that idea and thought it sounded cool (kinda a bumber that you will sleep on the ground for a bit but make it an adventure!) I just know that having mom there always made me feel so safe so he may just need you to teach him that it is okay to be scared but it may be more fun to think about what tomorrow brings.. like he can maybe plan an activity for tomorrow and ask him in the morning what it was and do it?? That sounds fun :) I always think of what my mom says that life comes in phases and the ones we love are always the shortest :) I need to learn to love the hardest ones!!!
Good luck though and you are such a great mom, you will do the best!!!
They sell "monster spray" in an aresol can with a perfume smell. It would be easy to make your own squirt bottle with a label that says, "Monster's Are Gone" or something. Before he goes to bed, you just spray under the bed, in teh closets etc.
Please let us know what you discover works. I remember Justin Liddle took Janie out and got her a fish that would scare away the monsters at night. I thought it was darling. I have also read a great book called "Go Away Green Monster". I also think the "Monster Spray" could be a fun idea. Good luck!
Kasen went through that phase not so long ago, and it still lingers a little bit. Like this morning he was afraid to go use the other bathroom cause I was using ours. He was "scared" I just lay with him for a minute and do the same thing others have mentioned, talk about Jesus, how there are no such things as monsters, they are cartoons and not real. I tell him to think about something that makes him happy. I guess it's different for each kid, but thats what worked for Kasen. Good luck!
Nash went through this, but it was short lived. I did tell him to think about something happy and then every night before bed I would whisper in his ear a short funny story for him to think and dream about. My boys love falling asleep to primary songs. I think it makes them focus on the music instead of their own thoughts. Hopefully you can find something that helps.
My kids go to sleep to music. They like to change it up, sometimes it Primary Songs, sometimes Baby Einsteins but right now it's a fun, active CD that once it starts to play, Gibsons asleep!
I put it on repeat for the first few hours and then turn it off when I go to bed.
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