Mothers help me out here.

[kiwiwolf]

"I love you Daddy" is probably the most wonderful thing a father can hear from his kids. I know it is for me, but hearing it at three oclock in the morning when I am trying to sleep is starting to wear me down.

My four year old daughter ( who just happens to be the most gorgeous little thing under 4 foot tall in the world), has taken to doing this on a nightly basis. After a cuddle and a kiss I pick her up and carry her back to bed, depositing her on her pillow again and sending her back to dream land. Then I am up for another hour at least. Any one who knows me can tell you that this is a bad thing. I am not the best of men to be around if I am tired. And god only knows I need all the beauty sleep I can get.

How can I break this cycle?


signed

Totally knackered.

 

[Cherry]

Want to play cards? I can't sleep either.










scratch, scratch

 

[Cherry]

As for advice ...

Treasure the moments ... soon she'll be grown.

 

[freakygirl]

I would say have her climb into bed with you.. but I'm sure someone would flame me for that. So I won't mention it..


I never had this problem with my kids.. once they were older and were in bed.. they were there for the night. I guess I was lucky.

Sorry I can't be of more help to you..

 

[kiwiwolf]

Re: As for advice ...

Treasure the moments ... soon she'll be grown.

The card game sounds good. And I do treasure the moments but it would be great to be awake to see them.

 

[rider]

These are the good times.

At least she isn't out in your car until three am with a guy who reminds you a lot of you at that age. How does that go, a man doesn't sleep from the time his daughter is 12 until she is married or something like that. I don't think you will break her of this, it is just something she will grow out of. As she becomes older, this will be less and less. My three year old almost always joins my wife and I, and tries to push me out of bed. But I just try to enjoy these times, although it is trying when you wake up with morning wood and there is your little angel beside your grown up one. Kinda kills the mood, but enjoy these times. These will be your fondest memories when she grows up.

 

[Mischka]

I used to crawl into bed with my parents every night around that age. They got pretty tired of it as well. They made a big to-do about redecorating my room into a big girl's room (they painted the walls) and told me about how this meant that it was time for me to spend the whole night in my new special room. It worked.

 

[Debbie]

Dear Totally Knackered,
I love you too but you need to lol be firm with bagel. From my youngest's paeditrician? Mommy's and Daddy's need their sleep.
Else they turn into grumpy old farts.
(Hey that remark describes me)
Ask the little one, what wakes you up? And that might help. Is she thirsty? Place a drink by her bed. Does she need the loo? Is she scared when she wakes up because it's dark.
Whatever the reason? No matter how much you love her? It is a habit that needs to be changed.
You have my sympathy. It isn't fun. I don't wear these matchsticks for a fashion accessory. Most nights I don't get woken up anymore. In my kids case it was spiders when he woke. So each night before he went to bed he would do spider patrol. If he wakes up in the night he calls out, I answer him and he goes pee or get a drink, says goodnight and goes back to bed.
You have to be consistent though. Good luck

 

[Private Vasquez]

I don't have any advice, not being a mother, and never having said problem with my nephew or neice...but I just have to say that is some cute cuteness. I was a bed crawler-inner when I was a whippersnapper. They just let me sleep there until I figure out how hot and uncomfortable that was, and decided I'd rather be in my own bed.

 

[kiwiwolf]

I would say have her climb into bed with you.. but I'm sure someone would flame me for that. So I won't mention it..


I never had this problem with my kids.. once they were older and were in bed.. they were there for the night. I guess I was lucky.

Sorry I can't be of more help to you..

I actually did get her into bed with me the other night thinking that she might go to sleep straight away. No such luck. She loves the size of my bed and stays awake until sparrows fart, keeping me awake as well.

 

[Cherry]

I use to drive my father nuts, too.

In the middle of the night, I would wake up and yell ....
"Daddy, I had a bad dream!"

He would always say, "Okay, sweetheart ... come and sleep with us."

And of course, I would fall fast asleep immediately ... while he and my mother would be tossing and turning trying to get comfortable and asleep again.

They loved me!

 

[kiwiwolf]

I used to crawl into bed with my parents every night around that age. They got pretty tired of it as well. They made a big to-do about redecorating my room into a big girl's room (they painted the walls) and told me about how this meant that it was time for me to spend the whole night in my new special room. It worked.

Thanks for the suggestion Mischka. It really bears thinking about. The one down side might be that she shares a room with her brother, who at 10 yrs old would probably object to living in a Barbie decorated bedroom. It is worth thinking about though.

 

[kiwiwolf]

Dear Totally Knackered,
I love you too but you need to lol be firm with bagel. From my youngest's paeditrician? Mommy's and Daddy's need their sleep.
Else they turn into grumpy old farts.
(Hey that remark describes me)
Ask the little one, what wakes you up? And that might help. Is she thirsty? Place a drink by her bed. Does she need the loo? Is she scared when she wakes up because it's dark.
Whatever the reason? No matter how much you love her? It is a habit that needs to be changed.
You have my sympathy. It isn't fun. I don't wear these matchsticks for a fashion accessory. Most nights I don't get woken up anymore. In my kids case it was spiders when he woke. So each night before he went to bed he would do spider patrol. If he wakes up in the night he calls out, I answer him and he goes pee or get a drink, says goodnight and goes back to bed.
You have to be consistent though. Good luck

Hey sis. She tells me when I ask her that she just wanted to tell me she loves me.

Wanna look after a niece for a while... like until she is 5?

 

[kiwiwolf]

I don't have any advice, not being a mother, and never having said problem with my nephew or neice...but I just have to say that is some cute cuteness. I was a bed crawler-inner when I was a whippersnapper. They just let me sleep there until I figure out how hot and uncomfortable that was, and decided I'd rather be in my own bed.

Hey PV. Yeah she is a little cutie but cute stops when my ass is dragging through the day.

 

[kiwiwolf]

Re: These are the good times.

At least she isn't out in your car until three am with a guy who reminds you a lot of you at that age. How does that go, a man doesn't sleep from the time his daughter is 12 until she is married or something like that.

I have the boy thing all figured. From the time my oldest daughter turns 12 until the day my youngest turns 35 I'll be perched on the deck with a shotgun and a steady supply of ammo. I love a moving target.

 

[seXieleXie]

two words:

cough syrup.

she'll be out like a light until morning

 

[freakygirl]

two words:

cough syrup.

she'll be out like a light until morning

They become immune to it..

Trust me... I know from experience. LOL

a few weeks ago.. my daughter was placed on a decongestant, to help relieve the fluid build up in her ears. Dr said it would make her drowsy.. it did.. the first few nights. After that it didn't.

I was hoping I could use it for "afternoon naps" now that school is over.. no luck. She's still the hyper little thing I remember from last summer.

God I miss school already

 

[craigiebaby]

cough syrup is the biz !

I am a junkie for it

 

[Debbie]

Hey sis. She tells me when I ask her that she just wanted to tell me she loves me.

Wanna look after a niece for a while... like until she is 5?

Sure, bro. As long as the kitties can come too!
You could try bargaining with her. She's a clever bagel.
What does she like to do most? Bake with Daddy? Paint?
BRIBERY!!!
"Bagel, Daddy loves you but sometimes he gets real tired.
I love it when you wake up and tell me you love me but Daddy's eyes are naughty and they won't let him go back to sleep.
What say tonight if you wake up and it's still dark you whisper to yourself, I love you Daddy. And go back to sleep.
If you can do it we could bake a cake together, paint a pic, go to the park etc"
(And Aunty Debbie promises to write her a story all about Princess Bagel)

 

[Private Vasquez]

My neice's mom used to give her warm milk with a little bit of vanilla in it before bed (and before teeth brushing), and it seemed to work for her.

 

[kiwiwolf]

two words:

cough syrup.

she'll be out like a light until morning

I would be willing to try scotch at this point. For me or her.

 

[kiwiwolf]

My neice's mom used to give her warm milk with a little bit of vanilla in it before bed (and before teeth brushing), and it seemed to work for her.

Now that might be worth a try. Thanks PV.

 

[T.H. Oughts]

here goes....

Because she is turning 5 soon and starting school explain to her that she has to big a BIG kid like her brothers and sisters now. That they don't get out of bed in the middle of the night because they are big and that they say they love you before they go to bed. Being a BIG kid means you stay in your bed all night.

Maybe she is also worried that because Mummy is not sleeping in your bed anymore that you might not be soon also and it is her way of checking you are still there.....

 

[daniella469]

reward her

Buy little, inexpensive things. Wrap them. Make a grab bag. Tell her it's a "big girl grab bag". I did this with my daughter. If she stays in her room all night, she got to pick something at breakfast time. She still woke, but learned to get herself back to sleep. We ended the bag thing, by telling her because she was so good, Santa was going to bring her big girl toys. After Xmas, there was no mention of the bag, and she stayed in her own room.
I did this with the "bottle" too. Gave it to Santa so he could give it to the babies who needed it. She was such a "bobbie" girl. I expected such a fuss, but only got one the first night.
Good luck!

 

[kiwiwolf]

Re: here goes....

Maybe she is also worried that because Mummy is not sleeping in your bed anymore that you might not be soon also and it is her way of checking you are still there.....

This is what I am worried about really. I have only stayed here for the sake of the kids so far and now with recent developments it is getting harder to rationalise being here at all. I love my babies but I have to get me sorted before I can be of any use to them.