Bad Dream

Can toddlers have nightmares? I knew that little ones often have night terrors, we have experienced that with a child or two. But my little 2 year old girl had a vivid nightmare that she was able to articulate to me. She told me that we were falling, falling, falling, falling. And we were in the van and we couldn't get out. And that she was vewy scared. Daddy and I talked with her about it for a bit and she and daddy came up with a happy ending for her dream. She said she was a leedy (lady) butterfly and she flew down and rescued all of us. I wasn't sure what Daddy was doing when he started asking her leading questions like, "Then did you save us?" I thought he was messing with the memory of the dream she was explaining to us. But when I thought about it, I realized how wonderful it was that he gave her an empowering resolution to a dream of helplessness.
I still feel awful that she had such a scary dream, it would have scared me too.

Comments

  1. I have dreams like that all the time. Not with the butterfly ending but the falling. And waking up sweating and scared.

    I know Sadie has nightmares, not ones that she articulates back to me so perfectly, but I know she has bad dreams. E on the other hand, I have no idea, he's woken up and come to our bed and said he had a bad dream, but left it at that.

    It is so scary.

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  2. Poor little thing - sounds like you guys had a good approach to it though. I guess bad dreams are a part of life for all of us but sounds like you're making them a little less scary for her.

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  3. That does sound like a pretty big dream for such a tiny little girl - Wow! I think you husband handled it spledidly - good for him. See you soon. Kellan

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  4. All of my kids have had nightmares at the toddler age. ACtually, Justin seems to have really outgrown them. I can't remember the last time he woke up from a bad dream...

    Both of the boys had night terrors for a few months. Boy, is THAT fun! Screaming child, incoherent, confused parent... anxiously awaiting it again!

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  5. Your poor baby! My 6 year old frequently has bad dreams. It's hard to know just how to help them over come the helplessness. I love your husband's idea!

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  6. Your husband handled it exactly right, though I'm not sure I would have even thought about it. Good for him! But poor little gal - hope that's the only nightmare for a long, long time!

    Heidi

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  7. Wow, this is so neat. I love the way you're really thinking about this.

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  8. My son sometimes would be crying in his sleep and I do wonder what is it that he is dreaming about. Hope it isn't anything scary...

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