These days, when I have the opportunity to sleep, I have no trouble relaxing and falling asleep quickly (dealing with some pregnancy exhaustion over here). But, my sweet little daughter is entering a time that seems to be bringing more and more resistance at bedtime.
We have a very precise bedtime routine that we have been doing for almost her whole life, and that normally does the trick, but things are just changing. Most nights she is just trying to avoid it and tries to talk my ear off so that I can’t escape her room and shut the door! Then there are the nights where she is genuinely struggling with something; scared of a lion, alligator, or a grumpy old troll under the bridge getting her, or she just doesn’t want to be alone in the dark.
I always feel so helpless in those situations because I remember a time in my childhood where I was paralyzed by nighttime fears for months on end. My parents always did their best, but the moment I realized I was in bed by myself, I panicked. You probably had times just like that too! Of course we are willing to lay with her until she falls asleep, BUT she won’t always fall asleep when we lay by her.
Seriously. There have been nights where after two hours (and falling asleep myself), I finally just have to leave her with fifteen stuffed animals in bed to protect her and remove myself from the room.
We have been having conversations with her recently about things that are pretend, singing songs that make her happy, reciting phrases that help her feel safe and brave, and so on. Then, just the other day, I was introduced to the Slumberkins and I was like YES! THEY READ MY MIND!!!! These books and snuggle pals are an answer to my concerned mommy prayers and wishes.
The founders Callie and Kelly are close friends who are mothers, and one is an educator and the other is a marriage and family therapist. While on maternity leave at the same time, they put their heads together to create a product that will help children with social and emotional skills for life! The outcome is Slumberkins.
Adorable snuggly pals pair with a book that addresses an issue of life that is often hard to navigate through, especially as a child. They touch on subjects like sleeping, transitions, and self esteem! On top of the sleeping book, I am particularly excited about the fox and his accompanying book about transitions. We will be bringing a new baby home to our house this summer, so there is quite the big transition ahead for our girl! Hopefully, as we read this book in the coming months, we will be able to prepare her for the life adjustment that comes with a new sibling.
