Big Boy Bed Battles

When we were ready to fight the Big Boy Bed Battle once more, I picked out some fun pirate bedding that I thought would get Izey excited. We talked it up for weeks before we made the plunge, stressing all the great things that Big Boys get to do that babies can't do. Last time I was in Michigan with the boys, Daddy set up the pirate bed and raised the crib mattress again for baby use. When we got home, we all ran into the boys' room to see the new digs. Isaac was excited, but told us, "Izey no yike pirate pill." Apparently the pirates on the pillow are scary. So we skipped the pillow. The first couple weeks were a breeze. He stayed in it. He liked it. No problemo.

Then one night Isaac got scared. Suddenly it was "too dark" and we had to keep the closet light on. He totally freaked one night when Jake was babysitting and must've had a bad dream. He started getting up and jiggling the door handle when we'd put him to bed and at all hours of the night. And then one time, suddenly, the door opened.

Before about one week ago, Isaac did not know how to open doors. We never let him try very long because we didn't want him to figure it out! We keep the bathroom and our bedroom door closed so that he and our things are safe. But there it was, Isaac learned how to open his bedroom door.

All of the sudden the big boy bed was a battle once again. We put him back in, we bribed him to stay, we held the door closed, etc. etc. It was taking us hours to get him to go to sleep for both naps and bedtimes. On our anniversary we went out to dinner and came home close to ten o'clock to find Isaac still playing door peek-a-boo with the babysitter. His bedtime is 7:30!

Finally we got some door handle covers and told him, "Isaac, we put this cover on the door handle now, so you're not going to be able to open it." That night after we tucked him and closed the door we heard his little feet padding over to the door and then jiggle jiggle jiggle, followed by a WAIL! We let him cry for 5 minutes (I thought we were past "crying it out" with him!) and then tucked him back in bed. That night he stayed.

That was about three days ago. Since then, he doesn't cry when we close his door, and he no longer tries to open it. Bedtimes have gone quite well. However, today I put him down for his nap around 1:00pm. Now it is 3:14. He is still up. He did the same thing yesterday-- contentedly messing up his room for two hours all by himself. Yesterday he eventually fell asleep. I'm not sure it's going to happen today. I have gone in a couple of times to check on him and tuck him back in, but I'm convinced every time I go in, I give him fresh hope that I'll come back again soon and he doesn't have to sleep.

Every time I hear him banging around in there I feel anger welling up. I have no idea how to get him to stay. A couple of times offering him a "special treat" if he stays in his bed has worked, but apparently he's not that interested today. There are pros to this situation: he's perfectly happy and I get a chance to blog. Yesterday I cleaned for the four hours he was in there. But I'm not about to be stuck in my house all afternoon, all summer long.

I am really not willing to give up nap time. Isaac still needs it, bad. One day he didn't take one (I think it may have been the first day ever that he didn't nap at all) and he was just a wreck. Oh, and let's not forget, I need it too!

We'll come up with something...we always do. These difficult phases feel like they're lasting forever when you're in them and they always seem to be solved by the simplest, silliest thing. Anybody have any idea what that thing might be???


***UPDATE*** After I finished this post, I peeked under Isaac's door to see if I could see little feet on the floor. Instead, my view was blocked by "cole blankie" which is what Isaac calls his blue blankie now. I tried to open the door, but something behind it prevented me from doing so. It was him. Isaac. I pushed it open just enough to squeeze in and put him back in bed. At least we'll get a bit of a nap today.

As an aside, Anders has also been taking a nap for the last couple hours and did the same thing yesterday. Yay for at least one nicely napping boy!