Monsters in the Bedroom

There's a bedtime book by Mercer Meyer that's titled "There's Something There" Its 3 short stories about nightmares/monster/alligator in the attic/closet/under the bed. I suggest you read this with him. Because the book makes him think if nightmares/monstersin a different way!

My son is going on 3. I usually lay beside him and pat his back while he goes to sleep in his room. But he's never brought up the monster thing-yet!

Definitely monitor his TV shows. If he's in day care, ask his teacher if she knows anything about this monster problem.

Like a few others who replied, I kept a special can of "Monster Spray" to get rid of nightmares. It was nothing more than Baby powder scented air freshener, but that worked like a charm for my son. I told him that "monsters" reeeally don't like things that smell good. When he'd have a bad dream, I'd spray the room so he could smell the nice fragrance. He was OK then, knowing that monsters would not like it and stay out of the room, and he'd go right back to sleep.

It was pretty cool when I found the spray can in his room one morning and I knew that he had gotten it himself and handled a bad dream on his own.
Good Luck!

I have no real advise. I was fortunate enough to not have to go through this phase with my kids so far. However, I've heard rave after rave about "monster spray." Sort of like, bug spray, but it gets rid of monsters instead. :0)

It's (WAHM)home-made, and smells nummy.
www.somebodytarted.com

I don't know if this will direct link you to the product or not, but it's worth a shot:

http://www.somebodytarted.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Mon...

Good Luck!

When my youngest son (now 19) was 3 yrs old. his fear was bugs in his room. I couldn't get him to go to sleep for nothing. The poor boy drove me nuts not to mention his severe insomnia. I got a clever idea by taking an insence stick and lit it, then blew it out. I carried that stick into his room and indian danced making up a chant type song about bugs not being alowed in the bedroom while he played and slept and that I called on the spirits from heaven who play with Jesus to keep him safe. We are Lutherans and my children were always in Sunday School. I know, it sounds "witchy" and way out there, but the point was the act of what I was doing entranced him with awe in a child's mind. He always knew who Jesus is and had his own ideas of who Jesus's play mate's were lol. It made an impression that he laughs about today. He still doesn't like bugs, but he finally got some sleep. As did I. :)

I've used "Monster Be Gone" spray (Lysol or any air freshener). It keeps them away kinda like when the exterminator comes to spray for bugs. We also have a Superman doll in my sons room that protects him at night. Good Luck!

There is a great fun video that tackles this. It's Veggie Tales "Where's God when I'm scared". The songs are cute and it's about a little boy that thinks there are monsters in his room. My 2 year old loves it! Maybe watch that with him and see if it helps.

Try buying your son a stuffed animal. When you give it to him, say "I bought you this because monsters are very afraid of lions" (or dogs, bears, or whatever kind of animal you chose). Assure him that as long as that animal is with him the monsters will stay away. We bought my grandson an elephant for that reason and it worked. Good Luck!

My daughter doesn't talk about monsters as much as she does ghosts, but doesn't really seem to be afraid of them. Its more of a game. I told her that when she wants them to go away to show them her muscles because they are afraid of muscles because they don't have them. That seems to work. Occasionally, I have to go into a room and show my muscles. It does the trick.

Keep an eye on what your son is watching that may be whats causing it.

How weird my 3 yr old sone just started the same thing with the monsters. I took some of his "tougher looking" and favorite stuffed animals. (Like a tiger, an alligator and a bear) I had him show me where the monsters hide, and where they come out from. Then I gave each animal special powers to keep them from coming out of monster land. I mean here is the thing, I know I am not going to convince him there are no such thing. So why not play along for a while. Make him think I understand. I dunno but it seemed to work. He will go in and make sure the animals are in their designated spots, it is kind of cute. Good luck.

T.

Hello, A.,
I read a true story of this same thing happening to someone. The mom did something that worked out really well. She sat her children at their kitchen table and with paper and crayons had them draw the monsters that they were seeing. Then she had them tear up the drawings and throw away the monsters. I pray that this will work for you and your son.

have you tried praying? i found praying with my son works. also, what about a night light?

I have "Mommy's magic monster spray"

we spray it and they go away,

if they argue, I tell them they are the good monsters that they are there to make sure no bad monsters come. If the good monsters are there, the bad monsters can't be.

Watch what he is watching before bed. Things we wouldn't find scary they do. Currently having similiar problem with my son who is 3 also.

You can also get a water bottle and spray it, leave it by his bedside to make him feel better and in control of the situation.
Best of luck
J.

Perhaps you could try buying a squirt bottle and filling it with water and something that smells really bad like, vinegar. Let him help you with it. Tell him that it is powerful monster repellent. Then, when he complains about the monsters, make a big deal about squirting it around the room to get rid of them. That may do the trick, or he'll get tired of the smell and they'll be gone before you know it.

Just an idea.

C.

I was going to suggest praying too. For awhile my daughter was doing through this. So we started praying about it each night and she was fine.

I went through this with my daughter when she was 3. We told her that we'd read on the computer that monsters and dinosaurs hate polka dots and we got her a sheet set with them on the bedskirt...they were always hiding under the bed. We also got her a polka dotted blanket that goes with her when she stays at my sister's or cousin's house. It worked after we did a search of the room after putting the skirt on. You probably wouldn't want to use polka dots for a little boy, but I am sure you can find something that works. Good luck.

Hello,

I have a 3 yr. old and the monsters were in her closet. I left the closet door opened and it worked. Yet years ago I took care of a 4 yr. old little boy who was terrified of monsters. I had seen on some movie how you can place their stuff animals and make them in charge of protecting your son. They can become his "little soldiers" who take care of him when he sleeps. Animals such as a lion, dog etc. work really well. This worked for the boy I took care of. Also reinforce that monsters do not like "little children"

Diana Mother of a 3 yr old and 7 months preg.

I have heard of getting a spray bottle of water and putting a few drops of potpourri (sp?) oil in it and making up a song that you sing and spray the room each night (closet, under the bed - whereever he says there are monsters) and then that ritual gets rid of the monsters on a nightly basis. He will be able to smell the sent of the pottpouri so that will help to reassure him. Also a night light that he can turn on and off himself but come up w/ a name for the light that helps to get rid of the monsters when it is turned on. Maybe he can come up w/ the name for the light and the magic spray. Explain to him what they do and let him come up w/ a name for them.

Not sure what TV he is watching, if any, but my daughter (who will be 3 1/2 in a few days) went to her cousins house who is a boy and 9 years old and he was watching Cartoon Network which has a lot of monsters, fighting that type of thing and she started complaining of monsters also after seeing a few of those shows. She was intrigued and asked to watch Cartoon Network at home and Jetix - super heros, ninjas etc but we are keeping it on Noggin and PBS and the monster issue seemed to go away really quickly. Good Luck - the imagination is a wonderful thing at this age but it can be a scary thing too - support his monster sightings but do whatever you can to make him feel like his home is safe and sound.

K.

Monster Spray! Get a spray bottle filled with water and attach a picture of a monster with a circle and line (like a no smoking sign). Have him spray his room and closet as well as under the bed. It keeps the monsters away! :)

I think you should help him feel empowered so he can face the monsters himself- just like any other scary thing he will encounter in his life. I've seen suggestions before to have a small squirt bottle and either fill it with water (which I don't recommend) or leave it empty because monster spray is invisible. He can spray around his closet and under his bed and anywhere else he thinks they may be hiding, then sleep with it by his pillow to squirt at them throughout the night. One thing that worked for my son, though, was totally different. One Halloween we went on a hay ride and "monsters" actually jumped out of the bushes to scare us-- so I handed my son the pen light I'd brought along and he held it out like a light saber and said "OK- WHERE ARE THEY NOW!!!" He was ready for them and not afraid because he knew he could shine te light in their eyes!

Try filling an empty spray bottle with water and labeling it "Monster Repellent". Spray it at night before he goes to bed.

sometimes, this is very real for a child, children can also be very perceptive....and we all hate to think that its more than their "imagination"....Of course, it probably is, but you may need to give in to him for a while and let him sleep somewhere else for a little while if possible, or, try maybe having you or someone sleep with him a couple times... Its a fine line cause you dont always want to give in to everything and then if you do, he may get too used to sleeping somewhere else..but we always need to be sensitive to them. good luck....

Dear A.,
You have to kind of understand that we're not the only ones on earth. There are spirits as well. When at his age he still doesn't know yet. As parents tend to raise kids they get lied to by saying "don't worry it's nothing, your not really seeing anything it's just your imagination". When he could quite likely really be seeing something. I'm not writing this to put fear into your heart but it's just reality. In my opinion instead of ling to him try to fig. out a way for him to fight this and to know that nothing can harm him. why not try this, one night sleep in the room with him camp in, when he wakes up maybe you could "have a talk" with the monster he's seeing and try to help him overcome this stage. YOu'll win his love even more, he'll know his mom will always be behind him when he needs any help and that he's not alone. Why don't you get him to "draw" you a picture of the monster so when you camp in you have an idea of what his "imagination" is making up. also you don't let him watch scary movies do you? if you do maybe that would be the problem? anywho, hope this helps and good luck to you both.

My 2 1/2 year old daughter started this same thing right after Halloween. I think she was afraid of some of the costumes. One night she was telling me there were monsters in her room and so I went in there, closed the door while she waited in the hallway. I made some noise (I was pretending to "beat up" the monsters). When I came out I told her that mommy got all the monsters and they won't come back again. She believed me and thought it was great. Now she says mommy if monsters come you will make them go away. I tell her I sure will! I don't know if this helps but its worth a try!

These former responses are all great! I might add...have you asked your son what would make the monsters go away? Maybe he can suggest something? Or maybe even convince him that they're not "bad" monsters. That they're just there because they like him so much and they want him to play with them because they're lonely. Maybe that will get him to look at it in a positive way and eventually he will outgrow it. Just a suggestion.