Great news! My daughter was recently released from solitary confinement to a general population cell. Perhaps I should explain…
A few months ago we transitioned our two-year-old from a crib to a Toddler bed. At first she slept fine, particularly during naps, but lately things have started to change. It’s almost as if one day she realized she didn’t actually have to stay in her bed during naptime. It was no longer a roofless prison cell like her crib. Sure she was gated in the room, but now she could leave her cell and wander around the grounds, while the guard (me) was busy with other things.
She also reached the developmental stage of dressing and undressing BY HERSELF, and don’t you dare try to help her! Now that she spends her naptime quietly wandering around her room (as not to disturb the guard) instead of sleeping, she has plenty of time to try on outfit after outfit. She starts this process by emptying her dresser drawers – completely. After ten to fifteen changes, she decides on the best outfit for nap (many times it involves a tiara and rain boots). If orange was the new black, then pink is the new orange.
After this, it’s time to put the rest of her cell mates to bed. First she tucks in her bear, then her monkey, occasionally there’s a couple of naked Barbies that need a rest as well. (I wonder what they’re doing time for?) Then it’s story time for her animals, before “Lights Out.”
After an hour or so of this behavior, she’s finally exhausted herself enough to fall asleep in the middle of the floor, right around the same time her brother wakes up from his nap.
This guard is never off duty.
-Pete