Escape Artist

Shelby has been in a toddler bed since we moved to Bloomington, IL three months ago.

March 2012

And for three months, she has been playing the escape artist game at nap/bedtime. She will get out of her bed, regardless of how tired she is, and do one or many of the following:

• Run down the upstairs hallway
• Peruse around our bedroom
• Go in her closet
• Come downstairs
• Visit Morgan, who in turn kicks her out and says “I’m Tired GO TO BED SHELBY.”

Sunday night was the last straw. I know it was her birthday, but when we heard her running upstairs at 9:30pm when we thought she’d been asleep for an hour, I was ticked.

I took out my favorite sleep book yesterday to read up on what to do.

I had tried all of the following already:

• Silently walking her back to bed
• Threatening
• Bribing
• Taking the blankey
• Holding the door shut
• Shouting
• And sadly enough, spanking….

NOTHING WORKED.

There is one other thing I had not tried yet. The book said to put a lock on the door because holding it is still giving them the attention they wanted. It said to have the child watch you install it, test it out proving to them they cannot open it, and lay down the rules.

Just before naptime today, we installed this:

She tried it, unable to open it. I laid down the law…and waited. As soon as I walked out of Morgan’s room, Shelby was standing there. So, I closed the door.

She screamed…LOUD…for about 10 minutes. I finally went in there, gave her a kiss and said I’d leave it open if she stay in bed.

And she did.

Amen. And for the 1,000th time throughout my motherhood, a shout out to Dr. Weissbluth. That man is a genius.