Big girl bed

After 3+ years, Bonnie felt ready for a big girl bed. We told her she had to earn it by doing a better job for bedtime consistently. This went on for weeks. One day in the car Bonnie said out of the blue "Mommy, I'm ready for my big girl bed. I'm a little bit tired of thinking about it." She was tired of waiting and talking about it, she wanted some action. I told her she was right, and we got to work setting it up. 

This was a big deal for her. If you don't already know, Bonnie has always had a hard time with bedtimes and nap times. She still goes through phases of crying herself to sleep (much less than ever before) and gets very stuck on her 'rituals'. If any part of her bedtime routine is out of order or out of place, it can cause some anxiety. So we were also very hesitant about such a big change.

She had some expected anxiety her first night, but took to it very quickly and did a great job! She loves her bed and the freedom she has to get up and get books or play during her quiet time if she isn't sleepy. She still struggles at times for bedtime, but she is definitely making progress.

It has been about a month since the transition and she is doing great. In fact, as I write this, Bonnie and Riser are upstairs sleeping in the same room for the first time. Slowly but surely this girl is becoming more flexible with her sleep and we are so proud of her!