Nov 10, 2009

Super Nanny Is Probably Really Super. We'll See.

So several months back I wrote this post about a tricky situation the AG and I were going to soon find ourselves in; family of four moving into a 2 bedroom cottage, kids (ages 1 and 3) having to share a room, bunk beds are in their room, whattodowhattodowhattodo. Remember?

So we moved into our humble abode a few months back and I kept thinking to myself, "Oh, I have got to write a post on how well the kids are sharing a room and how well Rocco is doing on the bottom bunk and how no one thought it could be done and how everyone told me to keep him in his crib but how I - a parenting genius - can do the impossible, etc., etc., etc."

Thank God I never wrote that post.

Because oohhhhhhh how I would be eating vast amounts of crow right about now.

We have lived in Snow White's house for almost three months now and not once have we had a problem..........until Friday night.

And then, suddenly and without warning, Rocco learned how to get out of his bed.

And open the door to his room.

And escape from Alcatraz.

And by Sunday evening I was TiVoing all the episodes of Super Nanny I could find.

Apparently she has some really swell solution for things like this. She says that in order to get a child to stay in their bed you should put them in their bed and say "goodnight." Then you should sit on their floor, turned away from them, and when they get up you should put them right back in their bed without saying a word, until eventually they wear themselves out and fall asleep.

And to this I say? DOES THIS WOMAN HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO WITH HER NIGHTS??

It is almost 10 PM and I'm not gonna lie people, I'm tired and my back is killing me. And maybe I'm not reading the signs right, but he shows no signs of slowing down. None. None at all. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

I have one of those plastic rails on the side of his bed so he can't fall out, but lets be honest, falling out of his bed is the least of his worries. He has a sister who has all but held his head in the toilet and made him beg for life; I assure you a little tumble out of bed is a piece of cake for this brute. Besides, it doesn't stop him! It's like watching Micheal Scofield in an episode of Prison Break. I suppose I should just do what the experts say and let him free, if he loves me then he'll eventually come back to me. Right?

In the mean time I'm stuck in the middle of the floor in my kids room. Something stuck to my foot that was wet and I could have sworn I just heard several tortured toys scream, "C'mon! The little girls not in here yet - let's make a break for it!"

Ahhhh well. I suppose I shall just sit here quietly, with my back turned from my little man, waiting patiently for him to disobey so that I can get my old arthritic self back up off this floor, put him in his bed again, plop back down on the floor and then hit the REPEAT button all over again.

At least that's what the Super Nanny says. And at this point, I'm going with anyone who has the word "Super" as their first name. Oh wait, I have to go...there is someone standing behind me breathing heavily in my ear. Either I'm about to be the victim of a serial killing or Rocco wants to see me try to get up off the floor again.

19 comments:

Aja Jenise said...

FIRST, the oldest trick is to get them good and tired so that laying down seems like bliss.

NOW, the thing that has done wonders for us... a bedtime routine. WAIT!! Listen... they take a shower, bath, whathaveyou. And we let them enjoy the bath, to the point that you may forget they are there... well my kids are 8,5, and 1 1/2. Then we all get in mommy and daddy's bed to sing songs, read the scriptures, and say our prayers... now these are like a condensed version of scriptures with pictures for the kids.

- Each child picks a song... (primary song for church usually)
-We read one chapter from our Scripture reader book
- We may talk about the story for a minute, and bear our testimony of the principles or prophet we read about...
- Each child says a prayer, then mommy or daddy says the family prayer.

It is a family routine that has blessed our sanity, and spirit since our oldest was 3 yrs old. i am not sure Suppernanny has thought to include God on that
'Super' part... it just might require a lot less work and sitting on the floor.

Good luck love...

Anonymous said...

simpy put him back in his crib. I solved it and I have no super anywhere :)

Aja Jenise said...

Oh I almost forgot, the most important part, we have hugs and kisses in mommy and daddy's bed after it all...

then put them in their beds...

(I have kept my kids in a crib until they were 3. Its an age I thought they could reason,... well handle my reasoning and still live anyhow...)

Megan said...

Last week I hinted that my MIL could get bunkbeds for our boys (5 and 2) for Christmas. She schrunched her face and told me that pediatricians don't recommend them anymore due to injuries from falling. My reply? I bet pediatricians don't live in two bedroom houses.

Regarding Rocco- Controversial, bu my girlfriend puts childproof doorknob covers inside her kids' rooms so they can't escape at night. If you resort to that, be sure to use a monitor so you can hear if he's sick or hurt. and I probably wouldn't post about it, or people will tell you it's horrible, but then again, you won't care because you won't be stuck sitting in the middle of their room in the dark!

T said...

I really have no advice other than laughter!! Thanks for the laugh from you and Megan!! I would go for the doorknob thing!

oldwomaninashoe!live.com said...

Bless your heart........and back. Crib, door knob thing, sleeping sack so he can't walk....try it all.

oldwomaninashoe said...

Bless your heart........and back. Crib, door knob thing, sleeping sack so he can't walk....try it all.

Anonymous said...

I know where u r coming from. I had to block off the hall to the rest of the house. My bedroom was at the same end of the house as my sons. He would crawl out of his crib at one and open the front door and leave it so we never knew who or what had came and went. Good luck, try the blocking the hallway if u r at the same end of the house. Worked for us

Ashley said...

Haha!!! I can just picture you on the floor in the dark with only the glow of your laptop and Rocco's persistent little escapades. Hope Super Nanny techniques work. That woman is pure genius.

Joie said...

At our house, we just let the kiddos fall asleep in our bed as I or daddy laid with them. In between them mind you, so cannot entertain each other. Once they were asleep we transferred them and they stayed in their beds. How long did it take them to fall asleep you ask? Usually about 15 minutes, and many times even less than that. The first few times (adjusting purposes) it admittedly did take them longer to fall asleep, about 40 minutes.
We did this for years, and now my kiddos are 5.5 and 7...notice the 'did' is past tense, and that is because by the time they were 4, they were secure enough to fall asleep in their own beds without mom or dad.
Now, I will admit every once in a great, great while my daughter (5.5) will have a problem falling asleep, but she simply just gets up and walks to mom and dad's bed (which is empty because we are watching TV or playing games)hops in and falls asleep. When we are ready for bed, we transfer her. No biggie!
Maybe you like this idea, and maybe you don't...I just thought I'd toss it out there for ya!
My best to you!!!

Big Nanny said...

I'm no Super Nanny but I am wondering if you left your spank spoon in Tennessee? Thanks for hanging up my button;)

Big Nanny said...

I'm no Super Nanny but I am wondering if you left your spank spoon in Tennessee? Thanks for hanging up my button;)

Carrie said...

tee hee - I liked the spanking comment...though I don't spank my son for getting out of bed...he's in a room by himself in a toddler bed, just started in there, and I just put a gate up in his doorway & tell him to get back in bed till he goes to sleep. When Hubby's here, he spanks him for getting out. It takes him 40 mins. or so, but he goes to sleep. Sorry you're having a rough time!!!

Melissa said...

I have no good advice for you. My youngest is 4 and I just pause Glee (thank goodness for DVR) tell her to get back in bed, threaten her with the switch, unpause and repause.....it's a nasty cycle....TV is ruining my good parenting skills.

Lisa@BlessedwithGrace said...

OY! I got nothin' for ya. I have a 2 yr old who I still have in a crib - for my convenience - since I don't want to deal with exactly what you are dealing with. Understand why you went to the bunk bed. I totally get the need, moving to the 2 bed room.
Unlike some previous comments, I am not one to put the kiddo in bed with me until he falls asleep. And yes, a nice bedtime routine is nice, but routines look different in each household. What works for one family may be ridiculous for another. Hope you can find a solution for your own sanity, cause let's face it. You don't need all this room sittin' to interfere with Glee and Modern Family. I'm just sayin'.
Prayin' for ya sistah!

natalie said...

When my daughter moved on to her 'big girl' bed, I left her door open at night but but a gate up so she couldn't get out of her room. She did spend a few nights getting up and playing with her toys, eventually passing out, but after a little while she didn't even get up anymore, and we were able to take the gate in. I say trap him in :)

Anonymous said...

We went thru a period of tough bedtime love with our twin girls when they were about 2 1/2

it was at least an hour of agony every night and I was pregnant with our 4th. - tears from them and us, lots of up and down and eventually one of us would lay on their floor just to get them to stop crying (and we'd usually fall asleep before they did). We were miserable.

One night my husband had reached his wit's end and just locked them in using the lock on the bedroom door. Once they realized they couldn't get out, they quit crying and fell asleep. (we unlocked the door before we'd go to bed)

we resorted to putting a hook on the door on the outside - used it for just a few months. Once they realized they couldn't get out, there was nothing really to get out of bed for. Once we'd tucked them in and said goodnights, they'd fuss for a little bit and then go so sleep. Again, we'd simply unhook it before we'd go to sleep each night.

Sounds extreme but was really pretty harmless and saved our sanity for sure.

Anonymous said...

OMG- you're so funny.
I enjoy reading your blog because your humor is fantastic..maybe it's because my humor is much alike;)
I could just piture you sitting in a dark room.., and your finish line
"-Either I' about to be the victim of a serialkiller......Ha Ha
So..I know you had a rotten night, but you've just brighten my day;0)

Sara L said...

Thank you for mentioning Michael Scofield - yummo!