It's a cruel irony of parenting that the week Madeline settled into one completely manageable wake-up per night Patrick figured out how to climb out of his crib. I was awake, feeding Madeline, when I heard the click of his doorknob and a flurry of little feet as he raced down the hallway into our bedroom and announced "Mommy, Daddy, I woked up!" Needless to say, no one has had a peaceful night since.
Our child-rearing books are full of completely ineffective advice: don't make the big boy bed transition with a newborn in the house (too late); transition gradually, starting with naptime (ditto); spend time making a big deal out of the bed (we did; but it didn't work). There's no advice for what to do when it's 3 a.m., you have a newborn, and your budding Harry Houdini will not stay in crib, bed, or big boy room and you are considering crawling into the crib yourself just to get 15 minutes of peace. We consulted some friends who have four children and they told us what the books just won't: sometimes you have to stand in the hallway and hold the door shut. And never, ever let them in the bed (also too late for that!). But they promised three days of the door routine and we'll be back to peaceful nights. We'll see.
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