The blame for this one goes to somebody. I could say “credit,” I mean after all we accomplished a large goal we had been struggling with for a few months. But he didn’t consult me (or the internet for that matter) before filling her little head with thoughts of owning this lovely (and very breakable!) bell.
She calls it her “Cinderella ding-a-ling.”
Lizzie was fighting sleeping in her bed all night long. She would wake up around 3am and climb into our bed. I knew something had to be done and tried sticker charts, simply waking up and putting her back in her bed, but nothing worked.
Then one day we got an advertisement in the mail for the porcelain Cinderella bell. Before Lizzie could see this ad I threw it away. The price (of course) was not listed but I knew it was too expensive for a preschooler to own. When somebody got home that night and was playing with Lizzie he walked by the trash can and saw the ad. He pulled it out and said, “Oh Lizzie! Look how pretty!” She was instantly hooked. He went on to explain to her that it was actually a bell and made a “ding-a-ling-a-ling” noise when you shake it lightly.
She jumped up and down and giggled. She was transfixed on the lovely details and was imagining the pretty noise it would make.
“I want it! I want the Cinderella ding-a-ling!” She said over and over.
“Um, wait.” He only meant to create conversation with her. He had no idea she would want it. (Difference between men and women: women think ahead and know how children react to fun things they don’t own) He tried to explain to her it is just in the picture and she can’t have it.
Yes, that didn’t work. She started to cry. So somebody pulled me aside and presented his idea. What if we gave it to her after she slept in her bed all night long for an entire week? I told him, “Wait right there. Do you even know the price of that thing? It will just break!”
“But how badly do you want her out of our bed? I think this will work!” He said.
Still not knowing the price we went ahead with the idea. Lizzie was beyond thrilled! And that first night she did sleep from 9pm-7am in her bed!
It was amazing! I was so thrilled to have her finally and successfully transitioned to her own bed. Then I looked up the price.
$39.99 + $7.99 Shipping and Handling.
YIKES!
That was about 2 weeks ago and I have still not ordered it. It does help that she keeps changing her mind about what princess she wants the bell to be. No, she never actually saw the bells online, but in her mind if something is made in one Disney princess it must be made in other ones too. So after 5 days of sleeping in her own bed she decided she didn’t want the Cinderella Ding-a-ling, she wanted Snow white. Then 3 days later she announced she wanted Belle ding-a-ling.
But Lizzie is sleeping in her bed, and until she reaches a final decision I am not spending the $47. Win/win!
I feel like an awful mom at times, holding this lovely bell in front of her face and not buying for her. But I think she has forgotten all about it by now. I guess that just because she forgot doesn’t get me off the hook. I need to ask her which princess she wants most and buy that one for her.
So apparently her sleeping in her own bed is worth $47 to us.
I wish that would work for us! I shot my self in the foot with operation sleep-in-your-own-bed-all-night. When he would wake up, I would lay Tate back down with a cup of water and sit in there until he fell asleep. I didn’t think about the consequences and how it would effect bedtime. Now he wants me to sit in there every time he has to go to sleep! Clearly, Mommy was not thinking when she came up with this “brilliant” plan in the middle of the night.
Too bad you can’t change the prize to something you could find locally.
just get a doll and put a bell on it. not sure she’d know the difference anyway, and probably a lot cheaper. until then, just relax and enjoy your new found freedom!
Ha ha! Too funny! We were in walmart last night and told Dustyn if he was good he could get a little monster truck. Well he was really good so we went to pick out one and he couldn’t decide. Kenny told him he had to the count 3 to decide. (Dustyn wanted them all.) he wouldn’t pick one so we walked away. He screamed bloody murder all the way to the check out line. I felt bad that he didn’t get one when we told him he would get one if he was good. on top of that carsyn was screaming. it was a pretty embarrassing night at walmart.
Definitely worth $47.
Wonder if I could pay someone $47 to potty train my 3rd son….
so cute 🙂 LOVE your story!
I think it was a GREAT idea!!! I wish Ethan was old enough to bribe to get him to sleep in his bed. He is camped out on the floor by his door because he won’t stay in his bed.
I too think it’s a great idea and hey if I would have had to spend $40 for sleeping in my own bed with no kids I would consider that money well spent lol. CONGRATS!
Kas
We promised my daughter a stuffed dinosaur that she wanted when she would stay in her bed all night. She subsequently did and then subsequently forgot what she wanted. I think an aunt finally got her her dinosaur sometime later! So don’t worry about it…these little ones minds change like the wind sometime!