2.2 year old afraid of Monsters at bedtime

[Bubblesmum]

Hi,

Looking for some help here. My 2 year old has suddenly developed a real fear / anxiety at night time about monsters. It starts about 7pm and if there's a room without the light on, he points in the door and says 'Monsters' and starts to cry.
I tell him there are no monsters and that the dog across the road chases them away. (we had that line from when my daughter was little and went through a similar thing).
Then at bedtime he starts again and is clinging on to me for dear life going into the cot.
We got him a night light which is near his cot (teddy bear) and that is on all night.
However he is frantic if I leave the room. Last 2 nights, I've had to stand beside the cot until he fell asleep. Then in the middle of the night (around 2-3am - but last night it was midnight, he wakes screaming and shaking in fear and when I go in all I hear is 'monsters'.) Its v. upsetting for him obviously and I'm wrecked from it. In the middle of the night, I usually bring him into our bed and then he sleeps ok ish the rest of the night (but we don't!).

Any tips ?

Thanks!

[NorksBride]

Urgh! I hate these phases! My DD (now 5) did this at about 2.5yo and it went on for a couple of weeks. We did almost exactly what you're doing - we just continually reassured her, gave her a night light (which she still has, annoyingly) and told her that if there were any monsters they'd be too scared to come in because of our enormous dog. We did keep her in her own bed though, even though that it was tiring to be up for so long in the middle of the night.

Very occasionally, she has a nightmare now and will either get in with us (I don't mind if it's a rare visit) or she'll easily go back to sleep in her own bed after a quick chat with DH or me.

As long as you're avoiding 'fairy tales' at bedtime and he's not watching Dr Who or anything, I don't think there's much else you can do except wait for it to pass (sorry)!

[Bubblesmum]

Thanks for your replies.

Amazingly this phase seems to have passed again. He still mutters about monsters at bedtime but we reiterate that the dogs chases them away and Mammy & Daddy won't let any into the house.

Slept solidly last two nights - Hurray ! I feel like a new person

[beansprout]

I had a friend who went round with "monster spray" (anything that squirts out of a bottle) before bedtime. Glad he is feeling better though!

[HEIFER]

I found that telling DD that saying Shoo shoo sho means that the monsters have to go away..

I used to tell her that they couldn't get in - but read on here that it was better to tell them how to get rid of the monsters, not to deny their existance..

So, shoo shoo shoo works for us... when she asks why do they have to go away I just tell her because thats the rules... no idea how long this will work for - but ok for now (DD is just 3)..

[nogoes]

Ds does this too. We always try to reassure him that monsters are not real they are just pretend I also try to read him books with lots of friendly monsters as well.