The Sleep Fairy - Tapa dura

Helping children learn to stay in bed after they have been tucked in for the night is a challenge all parents face. The most common advice given to parents whose children have problems at bedtime is "Put them to bed and let them cry themselves to sleep" however, most parents just aren't comfortable doing this. Child behavior specialist Janie Peterson (LMHP) has a much better solution. Peterson has helped parents deal with bedtime issues for years and developed a method that she has shared with the families she counsels. The success rate has been outstanding. Now, with the help of Peterson's delightful new book, The Sleep Fairy, families everywhere can have pleasant bedtimes. Peterson's method - which is effective with children 2-years old and up - is easy. First, parents establish the family's bedtime routine and explain the rules to their children in a clear and simple way. Next, comes a reading of The Sleep Fairy. (After a few nights, parents can choose to read just the poem about the Sleep Fairy and not the entire book.) Then, if all the bedtime rules have been followed, the Sleep Fairy visits during the night and leaves a special surprise. Not following the rules means no visit and no reward. In the story, the characters, Molly and Katie, learn what is expected of them at bedtime and are motivated by the anticipation of finding a gift from the Sleep Fairy. Using Peterson's technique, teaching children to stay in bed is a simple as sprinkling fairy dust. Eventually, children learn to feel good about staying in bed and falling asleep without whining, crying or begging. (This, ultimately, is the parent's reward.) The Sleep Fairy is a resource that parents can easily adapt to meet the needs of their own families. Peterson suggests parents add details to the story so that it more closely matches their own children's bedtime routine. Try it! It works...and happy bedtime!

In my twenty-five years of counseling kids and families, getting children to go to bed and stay in bed is a common challenge many families face. Jeanne M. Warock, LCSW, Family Intervention Services, South Orange, NJ.