Since about mid-December, our toddler hasn’t been sleeping very well. At first, it was the jet-lag (we had traveled to Berlin over the winter recess), then he was missing his aunties (with whom he’d been hanging out on our travels), and then he just got used to Mama or Ima sitting by his bed until he fell asleep. For an hour. Every night. Then, once he got to sleep, he began to wake up once or twice a night, scared of something in his dreams.
Basically, what I’m saying is that this household could use a good night’s sleep, and it should happen sooner than later.
Last night, though, we tried something different. Instead of lying down on the rug by his crib and waiting for him to doze off (whilst answering the myriad questions only a toddler can think up, of course) we introduced a new routine. Actually, it’s a variation on the old routine—the one that had both him and us sleeping through the night until recently. This version was crafted by my wife to address his new concerns—noises, nightmares, and things that go bump in the night.
“Tonight we’re trying something new and special!” she said to him at dinner, over some mac n’ cheese. He looked up, interest piqued. “Tonight mama will stay with you for a little while, and then you’ll sing a song together.” A song! That’s his favorite thing. He chimed in right away with…
