My daughter is afraid of the dark.
I new it was coming for the past week. Every night, she'd find a new reason to keep me in her bed to "schnuggle" just a little longer. She'd complain about turning out the lights ("I can't see the brown!") and cry and whimper (like the dog) as I walked out of her room.
Last night was the kicker. She cried every time I tried to leave her room. It lasted about a half an hour. I get very nervous when she has a hard time going to sleep. You see, I have this thing with the dark and whenever she starts in, I freak out a little that we'll be up all night. In the dark. I discovered I was afraid of the dark when Fa was born. It immobilizes me. The dark. I can totally understand why she'd hate it too..but she was doing so well in it.
Then, I asked her hesitantly if she wanted me to put her night light on. She answered yes, for the first time ever.
I bought this night light for her last year and every time I tried to turn it on since then she'd yell at me to turn it off..."It's too bright!"
I love this night light. It's beautiful. It's purple with a little beaded shade over it like a tiny lamp. So girly. But I was kind of happy that she didn't need it.
Well, she needed it last night.
She napped yesterday too. Whenever she naps in the daytime now, she has a hard time going to sleep. I think we are thisclose to giving up the nap entirely. Goodbye sanity.
Years from now when I let her read this entry, I'm sure we'll laugh together and reminisce about how tiny and scared she used to be...But for now, in my head, I'm a little jittery.
17 comments:
I'm still scared of the dark.
Sometimes you never grow out of it no matter how un-tiny you get.
The Helper needs a light on, period! Bright, dim doesn't matter. No way he'll sleep in the dark, never, ever! As long as he sleeps who am I to question? Me... gotta be pitch black... even the slightest illumination will prevent my slumber.
Hummm... so far Magoo doesn't need a nightlight ...
but... hum....I might think of trying "no naps" for a bit... see what happens.
Pumpkin and Princess still ask for their lamps on at times, despite having night lights as well. Hey, if they can sleep with a lamp on, great. As long as they sleep.
Hopefully this stage will pass quickly, and hopefully your daughter will LOVE to take naps again. I've had to change naptime to "rest time" - they still have to stay in their rooms, sometimes in their beds.
Night lights aren't so bad. Besides, it sounds like you picked out quite a fancy one!
I'm sure she will get through this faze too.
Or you could let her read this and realize that she is still in fact scared of the dark...
That would kinda suck though. :)
Steve~
Dawson isn't afraid of the dark.....he's afraid to go to sleep by himself in the dark. Hence, the child sleeps in my bed. -sigh-
:)
It's weird that none of my kids have ever had that issue. It's so normal I was kind of expecting it at sometime--like getting chicken pox, just a ritual of childhood--but it's never happened. Good luck to SF though, hope she doesn't lose much more sleep (or you either).
I always used to be afraid of monsters being under my bed. I thought they'd reach out and grab my ankle when I put my foot down on the floor. lol
Ugh I feel your pain. One of my twins wakes me up almost every night crying because she dreams about trees grabbing her. Not sure where she got that idea from... but it's hard to convince a 4 year old that trees don't grab you and pull you into the dirt!!
I hope we can look back one day and remember how much is meant that our kids wanted us so badly in the middle of the night; rather than how sleep deprived we were ;)
I think this is quite common for a lot of children...and even adults. I have to admit from time to time depending on what I watched on TV the evening before I have to turn the light on when I am up through the night when I would normally just feel my way around in the dark.
Actually, I am starting to think that Jacob doesn't like the dark. The last place we lived there was a street light lit 24/7 right by his window and it always lit up his room but now living in the middle of nowhere it gets VERY dark at night and he wakes up crying a cry that isn't his usual. It actually sounds like he is scared. I have thought about purchacing a night light myself....now, I think I will go ahead and do that!
Becs sleep with a night light ... I never thought I would allow it, feeling that ones imagination should come up with alternatives to light ... but alas that sweet angel of mine has convinced me differently. It is the light that keeps the monsters away ... How can I argue with that??!!
I love the dark and when I am not pregnant I adore being scared! I hope that Becs will to someday .. if not she will be her own person, just like SF will be her own!
Nothing like a little light - and mom - to get through the night!
Dark is scary, for sure!
We use a night light for our little one! Always have.
I read an interesting post on Parent Hacks about a great idea...
http://www.parenthacks.com/2007/02/glade_scented_o.html
In case you need another shining light :)
My daughter likes it pitch black so fortunately, I haven't had to deal with that.
However, she's been trying to boycott naps. Something I will NOT allow to happen at this point. Oh, the horrors...
My Love Bug would even use her night light during naps, and it wasn't dark in her room. Granted, she has a light blocking shade, but the sunlight came in through the top of her curtains and shade. It made her feel better, so whatever. Both of mine slept in total darkness until around 2 or so, then needed their lights.
Well, you know what I always say, "Goodbye sanity, hellloooo booze and porn."
I actually just started "saying" that right now, but I think it has a nice ring to it, no?
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