Drama, Drama

Madison Claire got off her routine thanks to our beach trip in late June/early July.  She spent a week at the beach, a week with my parents, and then a week with Ryan's parents.  3 weeks off her normal routine = DISASTER!  Note to self - do NOT do this again!

When she finally got back home, she was so used to sleeping with someone that she literally would not go to sleep at night.  She would throw a full out, 100% tantrum every single night at bed time.  She thought of every excuse in the book - she was scared of the dark, scared of the airplanes that fly over our house, scared of the possibility of a storm, her legs hurt, her stomach hurt, she needed water, she needed more toys in her bed, basically she just wanted us. 

When we would leave and shut her door, she would turn into a possessed person - screaming in a voice unlike anything we've ever heard, kicking, trying to trick us by yelling out "Oh no" so we would think something had happened in there.  It was exhausting and one of the biggest parenting challenges we have faced with her.

We tried everything - positive reinforcement (think sticker charts, bribing with something fun if she goes to sleep with no yelling), negative reinforcement (think spankings, no bed time story, etc.) and NOTHING worked.  We prayed a lot and sought advice from friends.

Praise the Lord, it only lasted around 2 weeks.  We ended up finding success through consistently not giving in, letting her have a popsicle for breakfast every morning she woke up and had stayed in her room with no yelling, and getting her a Dreamlight, which lights up her ceiling while she is falling asleep. 

*Note - it's now 4 months later, and sometimes, when I go get her in the morning, she still looks at me and says "I stayed in my room with no yelling!  Can I have a popsicle?"  Hee Hee :)