Ok, so my monkey child 2 year old has just started sneaking out of her bed to sleep in the rocking chair. I have tried to discourage this, including going in there repeated times when I hear noise, but it just draws the whole process out longer because she ends up in there anyway. We've had the toddler bed for about two months now, and it has been working out great - no problems. Suddenly she's going through this thing though and seems to need to be in the chair, which is our cuddle/comfort place. She mentioned the boogeyman the other day, so I wonder if she's scared. I have no idea who is saying that to her or what she understands it to mean, but it would make sense if she's scared to go to a safe place. I also wonder if we're just entering the terrible twos. Is there a growth spurt at 2? I am thinking that's another possibility - that she's just irritable and possibly hurting with growing pains? She's been eating a lot and irritable for sure - everything else seems normal though - good mood and very active. Any ideas???? Also, would you let this ride itself out or consider it to be big enough to nip it in the bud? I'll take any tips :)
Thanks!
K.
Don't over think it. She likes the chair. She will most likely move back into her bed on her own. My kids did the same thing at about that age. She may just be exercising her independance with the toddler bed.
No Worries.
Why not let her stay in the chair if she's sleeping and comfortable?
I would let her sleep in the chair. She is showing great signs of self-soothing. She could be up crying and in your bed. If she is safe,comfortable and warm, I would leave her alone. She will stop when she is ready.
the chair is her comfort zone,and it's where she feels safe from harm. let her have the chair, it's ok. boogey man came from maybe tv or what what they heard. what i did with mines was reassured them at night BEFORE putting them to bed, you may have to get creative. search the room with them, show them how a small gust of air will make a curtain move.also let them know how you once thought there was a boogeyman. now the irritabilty may just be coming from not getting a good nights sleep (boogeyman fears) and as for the eating just monitor that, it too may come from some anxiety of whats to come ( at night). remember to do a process of alimination and continue to monitor. take care of the boogeyman situation first and everything should mellow out. be patient this could take a little time or no time at all.
I agree!! I think it is probably a phase that she is going through and it would be different if she was getting up to play. If she just gets up and goes right back to sleep in the chair then I would just move her back to her bed once she falls asleep. If she isn't bothered by sleeping in the chair I wouldn't worry about it. Sometimes the more attention we bring to the issue, or make a big deal out of it the longer it is drawn out. At least she isn't wanting to sleep with you every night! :) Good luck! This age is a blast!
I had/have a "monkey child" also...who is now 15! I do not see a reason that this rocking chair is a "bad" thing, unless of course there is a danger of injury. Phases come and go and usually only become as big as parents make them! Pick your battles and make wise choices. Figure out early on, and come to an agreement with your husband, about what your values are...what are the non-negotiables and what can you otherwise let slide? Be careful what lines you draw as you will need to be consistent and persistent - always. Can you ask her more questions w/o it seem to be "wrong"? Are you weening her? Are there other changes taking place around her? Take your time w/ this and it will all work out. Take pics of her and record the "silliness" of it in her baby book or journal! Enjoy this...it will not last forever!
love to you.
I have to agree with the others. Both my kids have gone through short phases of sleeping on the floor and I tried to discourage it at first and then didn't worry about it after that. They moved back into their beds on their own. My own daughter is two and a half and she lately has taken to sleeping sideways on the bed with most of her covers thrown off. I suspect that will change over the winter when she realizes she wants the covers...
It's likely just a phase.
My daughter (also Emma) who just turned 3 did the same thing. It actually lasted for quite a while (I took some hilarious pictures). Some times when we moved her to her bed, she returned to the chair.
I wondered if my daughter was congested and the upright position helped her, but that didn't seem to be it, she just liked sleeping there.
We have recently switched bedrooms (no chair now) and she ended up with a short floor stage but now she is in her bed.
I would leave it alone, there will be plenty of battles worth fighting along the way.
Good luck.
The chair is in her room right? I wouldn't really worry about it too much. I think it is a phase. And yes she most possibly is going through a growth spurt. I would just move her back to the bed once she's asleep. This way when she wakes up she will at some point put it together that this is where she needs to be. I would just pretend like you don't hear her. One of my kids liked to sleep in a tent for a little while. It didn't last long.
She might be seeking comfort from the new big bed to the small confines of the rocking chair (similar to a crib). I agree with the others to not make a big deal about it, but if you haven't already, maybe try giving her a couple of cuddly stuffed animals to "keep her company" in bed. My son calls them his friends - he rotates his favorite ones and has at least four in bed with him at a time (some are very small). We also have his "cozy" covers that we refer to every night. Good luck! It's kind of amazing that she's "solving" her own "problems". Sounds like you have a smart little girl.
you could always remove the chair from the room for now unless you're not afraid she'll fall off. or just let the phase pass....
I agree with the other two responders: don't make a big deal about this. If she is scared, her actions show you are doing something right b/c she has the wherewithal to find a solution w/o involving you. When my daughter was this age she went thru a phase where she got out of bed and brought her blanket to the hallway floor right outside our door where she would lay down and go to sleep. So I would wake up and almost step on her when I headed for the bathroom. She never woke us up or cried....she just appeared there in the middle of the night. Eventually it stopped. She later said she just needed to be closer to us.
Enjoy your little girl!
