About 6 months ago my 3 year old started having trouble with dreams. She wasn’t having the pleasant rainbow and fairy princess dreams anymore… she was having the bad scary kind that woke her up in the middle of the night and caused her to not want to go to sleep at night.
I went to our wonderful library and talked to the librarian who recommended The Dream Jar by Lindan Lee Johnson
This gem of a book is a darling tale of a little girl who has nightmares and is afraid of sleeping alone, until with the help of her big sister, she discovers the trick to turning bad dreams into good ones. Her big sister makes her a Dream Jar.
I highly recommend this book. It is a beautiful read and a fabulous idea.
Well, seeing as my 3 year old can’t read *gasp*… I know. I had to come up with another idea. Somewhere from the cobwebbed depths of my mommybrain came Nighttime Magic.
Every night after either Daddy or I read her book to her, I go in and with her favorite stuffed pink and white dog, Maddie, I cast a spell on her room. This involves me zooming around her bed twice with Maddie and then I lower Maddie to her mouth and she whispers the magic words… are you ready for this?
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.
Yes, the ultimate magic spell of all time. She then receives a kiss from Maddie, who remains stationed on the foot of the bed for the rest of the night. A kiss from Momma, and it’s off to dreamland for her. Dreamland is now a magical place full of frolic, fairies, princesses and all the wonderful things that a 3 year old princess could ever want.
I wish you all a little bit more magic in your lives.
that is a great story…what a great mommy you are…great idea too…
Thank you very much. Occasionally the cobwebs disappear and the rusty cogs in my brain squeak to life again!
If you click on the words Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, it will take you the the video of the song from the movie… my daughter has been making me click on it over and over all morning!
That’s one of my favorite Disney songs ever. When Ironflower went through a similar thing, we started spraying her bed with a scented room spray that had “magic” powers.
I’m going to have to get that Dream Jar book for A. She tells us sometimes she’s having bad dreams although she hasn’t actually fallen asleep yet… but whatever. This might help!
Thanks!
That is a great idea…I also like the idea of having a water bottle marked, “Monster Spray.”
Spritz it around at bedtime and tell the wee one that it will prevent monsters 🙂
Bradley
The Egel Nest
I wonder if there is something magic about the age 3 and dreams. My oldest is almost 4, she now tells me about “Last Nights Movie”. Since her “Movie” is incoherent and like nothing we let her watch, I assume she is referring to dreams. Interesting.
Wow! Sounds like a fantastic book. I am so checking that out!
I might have to try that…I will look for the book at the bookstore as well, because Max 4 year old, still wakes up from “bad dreams” at night…thanks!
What a very sweet post. We bought a dreamcatcher when one of our daughters was having nightmares and although it did the trick your idea seems so much more special. I imagine you as a sort of Mary Poppins mummy making nice things happen 🙂
Mary Poppins? I’ll take it, LOL. Except with red hair and a southern accent!
What do you mean she can't read??? LOL Sounds like a great idea honey!
What a sweet story! When Shark Boy started having bad dreams the only thing we ever could figure out was to put Sam, our Golden Retriever, in the room with him. Sam starts out in the lower bunk, warding off monsters, then he gets hot and lays on Shark’s tiled bathroom floor the rest of the night. It works, but the bathroom often smells like dog.
Thanks for pointing me to your post! These sound like some good suggestions.