STUBBORN & SLEEP

Alice is stubborn, so am I, that makes for some interesting confrontations, but it also makes us determined.

On Monday T cleaned Alice's bedroom, changed the sheets and made it clear to Alice that there were no monsters around anywhere.  New Princess bedding on the bed and everything ready for her to move back in.  I'd intended that Alice would go back to Nursery on Tuesday before going back to her room to sleep - making the most of a tiring day, but she was ready on Monday night and ready to go back - HIGHLY motivated by the Princess duvet cover!  The first night started well, but Alice woke at 3am and was soon shouting and then crying for me.  Determined not to let her back in my room I lay with her for a few minutes before I *had* to use the bathroom!  It was long enough to realise that she was cold in bed.  I left her with the El*mer CD playing, but it took several return trips to settle her, it took both of us nearly 2 hours to get back to sleep, but overall it was a sucessful first night - all night in her own bed!  She had a present for a great night, a piano / xylophone toy, hugely popular and gave me a headache within minutes, but the smile on her face and the positive reinforcement was worth it.

Tuesday onwards, straightforward bedtime, no fuss, back to CD playing everynight, Alice wore a fleece sleepsuit each night.  In the middle of the night into Tuesday morning, I established that not only was she cold in bed but that she REALLY wanted a Snow White costume.  So on Tuesday I made up a 7 section reward chart - for 7 successful nights in her own room she will get the SW costume, I'm astounded at just how much she understands the system and it's a huge motivator.  It's so successful that I'm planning a longer chart with a smaller reward for when SW's been achieved.  Sh automatically understands that each night gets a smiley face, how many she's got, how many more she needs and what comes at the end, she even understands that the costume is hanging in the study, that she can look at it but not wear it until there are enough smileys!  She can explain the concept back to me and is even quite sophisticated in the time concepts, she's got 4 smileys so far, she knows she needs 3, she knows that when she gets 1 tomorrow she'll need another 2, I'm amazed!

I'm also amazed at how smooth the transition back to her bedroom has been going so far, very few tears, no fuss and straight back into routine, if I'd known how easy it would be I would have tried weeks ago!  I think her natural determination has helped as she is determined to wear SW ASAP!  Today the rewards and child sized sleeping bag (like the baby ones not the camping ones!) arrived.  Alice was delighted into hysterical giggles at the prospect of her new sleeping bag - I bought the travel bubbles version as we have it in the 2 smaller sizes, so hopefully she'll be able to match with her sister in the middleish future!