[Moriah] Parenting Is... #39

...experiencing the first night that your toddler becomes afraid of the dark and wondering how to deal with the cries of fear emanating from his room.

Our oldest son has begun a journey into true toddlerhood, including becoming afraid of the dark. Tonight, after laying him down for bed, covering him with his blankie and giving him his beloved teddy bear and a fuzzy doggie, and saying our usual goodnights and I love yous, we left the room as usual. Shortly after shutting the door, also as usual, he began a very panicked cry that increased in insistence rather than calming down. We thought maybe letting him cry it out would be the solution, but it wasn't. After about 10 minutes, I ended up going into his room and calming a very scared little boy. He clung to me over the bar of his crib, still holding his teddy bear and doggie for dear life, while frantically looking around the room. I held him close, stroking his hair and face and giving him kisses. I calmly spoke to him, telling him everything was alright and that his bear and doggie were there with him to keep him company. After about 10-15 minutes, his crying-induced hiccups subsided and I asked him if it was okay if he laid back down. He seemed calm enough, so I gently laid him back down, covered him up with his blankie and made sure he was holding his bear and doggie in his arms. I stayed by his side for a few minutes, still stroking his hair and calmly talking to him, telling him that I would see him in the morning and that his bear and doggie would be with him during the night. When he seemed ready, I slowly backed toward the door, still quietly talking, until I left the room. I decided maybe I should leave the door cracked so a little more light could enter his room until he was ready to sleep. I don't know if it helped or not, but he calmed down after that and eventually fell asleep. I have a feeling we'll be experiencing this again and again over the next several years. But it was still a big shock to me to experience it for the first time.