Monsters!

[Justanothernap]

My 2yo had started complaining of monsters in her room when she's put down for naps/bedtime & when she wakes up.

She's still going down ok... so not a huge issue. I'm just a bit unsure of what tack to take.. i.e. Don't worry monsters are fun to pretend but there not real, don't worry etc, or oh hello me friendly monster come play downstairs with me etc. We've kinda done a mish mash of the two, so I'm sure she's confused!

• that should read hello Mr friendly monster (I wasn't doing my best dickensian cheeky urchin accent honest)

Also I meant they're not there (this is in no way a bump for the evening crowd)

My daughter became fixated on there being witches in her room, telling her they weren’t real didn’t work, so I tried saying they had gone on holiday far away and she accepted this and didn’t seem to be anxious anymore.

Tell her there's no monster as the vampire in the wardrobe has killed it.

KIDDING!!!!

We got an old salt cellar (empty) and told DS it was filled with magic anti monster powder. He would then sprinkle it round room / the door so monsters couldn't get in and any were there would run away.

We have a friend who has a hobby which involves a monster alter ego, so our starting point is 'monsters are just pretending to be scary, they're ordinary really like Friend's Daddy. He likes cups of tea and chicken casserole and takes the dog for a walk and has a normal job like your Daddy.' If that doesn't work, out comes the monster spray, which is just my perfume but sprayed in the dark seems to have the desired effect.

Hello all, thanks for the advice. Particularly the humorous advice ) I think we'll continue with the fudging it & have the monster spray as back up. I am reassured I'm not committing a parenting faux pas in terms of colluding with the monsters existance! (I may have overthought this a little)

Mine told me he was scared of the dark when he had just turned three, I told him he wasn't, he agreed and has never mentioned it since.

Only bloody time he's ever done as he's told!

I have always told mine I only let friendly monsters in the house.

Seems to work better than saying they aren't real (though I do also say that but not so much at bedtime, more if we're reading a monster story or similar)