urgent help required - how can we magic away the bangs...or any better ideas please

[clarevoiant]

Ds is 2.1 and was great at going to bed on his own til the fireworks (bangs)last weekend. since then he wont even nap in his room and last night we let him cry himself to sleep out of desperation as he was soooo tired.
He's scared of the 'bangs'even though there hasn't been any for 2 nights, and he literally clings on its heartbreaking....
How can we make him understand that there's nothing to be scared of. he's going to stay with his nana tomorrow night so we can go out, and we dont want her to have to go through this too....
Please help, any suggestions or things that have worked for you would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

I would stay with him until the scary memories have faded a bit. Poor little thing - mine was terrified of fireworks too! Loves them now at 6, so it does get better!

Try playing (familiar if possible) music in his room so any bangs wouldn't be so noticable. Ds gets into a bit of a tizzy about funny noises, and that usually works for us. Never had a any particular problems with fireworks though (apart from catching them looking out the window when they should be asleep).

Thanks seeker, we have been staying with him for a while, you think he's asleep and then as soon as you stand up he starts screaming again, on Tuesday we let him stay up a bit (til 8pm) then sat with him till he eventually fell asleep at 9.45pm.... last night he went to bed at 7 and didnt fall asleep until 9pm. then he's awake crying 3or4 times in the night too, and its exhausting.

He's just cried himself to sleep now and its taken 50mins (milk, story and all of that too). he's happy to nap/sleep in the car but not in his room...

we do play music too....

just wondered if anyone had any techniques for making littles beleive that theres nothing to be scared of?

If he's got an association of the bangs with his room, then a night at nana's might help break the cycle.

hmm... i never thought of it like that, yes it might help... thanks

just paranoid that he's gonna keep her up all night too... and she's a rotten sleeper herself, and worries about everthing so if he wakes her up, she'll be awake all night worrying about him.