Monster in the Closet??

[rubytuesday84]

Well it looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight since Drew decided that there is a monster in the closet. Last time I let him watch monsters inc. lol.

Apparently it is big and furry, with a tail like a cat, glowing purple eyes and it says "num num num" and can fly and is very hungry. gotta love kids imaginations, to be honest I keep looking over at the closet now too lol. It's the glowing purple eyes and the fact that it is hungry that creeps me out.

Any ideas on how to convince a 2 1/2 year old that there is no monster? I tried filling a spray bottle with water and a bit of perfume to make monster spray to make it go away but according to Drew, the monster drinks that for lunch. I tried casting a spell, but Drew told me the monster thought it was funny and I am all out of ideas. He won't go to sleep and I am sooo tired.

[Jen22]

LOL - I love his answers for all the things your tried (the fact that it laughed at your spell made me giggle, lol)... My kiddos have never had anything like this happen *knock on wood* ...

I think that if my son came down saying that ... I would probably turn on the light in his closet or something, and just leave the door cracked... Or try a night light ... Light always seems to be the best defense against monsters (it was for me when I was a kid, lol).... I can't think of anything else at the moment other than being mean (which I would hate!!) and just saying that monsters aren't real and to go to sleep (but that just makes me feel bad thinking about it - so I don't think I could do that).

Good luck sweetheart! I can't give you any advice based on experience (not yet anyways, lol) Let me know how it goes :)

[scrapastrophe]

oh now that is just precious - great imagination!

A night light is a good idea. My Timmy had monster night mares - I was able to convince him that they were not real.

If he got the idea from Monsters Inc - how about reminding him that they are more frightened of children that he should be of them ... 23-19!

[JaneAgain]

I just kept telling my kids it couldn't be a monster, because all the monsters lived in "Montario", and we didn't. Worked great until their aunt moved to Ontario...lol. You could try "Montana", unless, of course you live there. GOod luck!

Well it looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight since Drew decided that there is a monster in the closet. Last time I let him watch monsters inc. lol.

Apparently it is big and furry, with a tail like a cat, glowing purple eyes and it says "num num num" and can fly and is very hungry. gotta love kids imaginations, to be honest I keep looking over at the closet now too lol. It's the glowing purple eyes and the fact that it is hungry that creeps me out.

Any ideas on how to convince a 2 1/2 year old that there is no monster? I tried filling a spray bottle with water and a bit of perfume to make monster spray to make it go away but according to Drew, the monster drinks that for lunch. I tried casting a spell, but Drew told me the monster thought it was funny and I am all out of ideas. He won't go to sleep and I am sooo tired.

[JewelTheQueen]

Hmm... maybe you can play on the way the monster is responding ... like, leave him some monster spray by the door for lunch, and leave him a 'spell book' since he thinks they are funny. Ask Drew if there is anything else the monster needs before you all go to sleep. Kind of befriending and caring for the monster?

[rubytuesday84]

The light doesn't help since he already sleeps with a night light and we keep a light on in the hallway as well.

I am just keeping my fingers crossed that the monster doesn't come back tonight, if it does then it is moving to Montario lol.

[Leslea]

I tell Lily that nothing mean or scary is allowed in the house. So far it's worked. I have to tell her a LOT, but she takes it and goes! Good luck!!

[Melly]

This is the funniest thing I've ever read! How cute! Keep us posted on any further "sightings"!

[Jen22]

Maybe google it?? I just googled Getting rid of monsters in the closet and found this cute (and possibly helpful) aritcle. I thought the trap sounded good - that way if there's no noise, the child knows he's safe... however - if for ANY reason the box got knocked - well... you might make the situation worse, lol (so maybe tape the ringer part of it when he's not looking, lol)

http://www.ehow.com/how_2278241_get-rid-monster-under-bed.html

[rubytuesday84]

The monster came back tonight and brought a friend who is hungry too. Right now Drew is having a snack and I will let him watch a half hour of tree house while I make a no monsters allowed sign. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will work. I don't think that making a trap will work because then he will probably ask me to check it all night.

[Jen22]

Okay -- I'm gonna do devil's advocate real quick and say that...

Well - I imagine that children of all ages love attention (dur, lol). And I wonder if ... maybe it's getting worse (ie: another monster joins the first) because your son loved the extra, loving attention that he got from you... I would be afraid that he'll keep it going so that he can keep up the special attention...

That being said - if that is the case - I'm not sure how I would handle it -- but I thought I'd say something just in case so you could keep that in mind when you're trying different ideas :)

[breeze80]

My daughter is the same way with Shadows.

I told her that they are there to watch over you while you sleep and make sure nothing happens.

Once there was a lion under the bed....and I told her it was the shadows cousin coming for a visit.

This usually works. And if it doesn't I figure she's not tired anyways, so I give her some extra snuggles and then it's off to bed.
I never turn on the light, or let her out of her room, because then she gets the "I can do this every night" idea. And well, we know how that goes.

But she does have a nightlight :)

[rubytuesday84]

I found a monster picture online and made a cute no monsters allowed sign but it scared him lol. This morning I went and dug out an old Stay Puft Marshmallow man doll (from the ghostbusters) and taped it to the closet door and told him that he is the guard for Monster land and he will make sure that no monster escape. So far he seems happy with that.

Jen - I thought it might be the attention but every night he doesn't want to be cuddled or anything when the monster shows up, he just wants to curl up on the couch with his blanket and watch a cartoon. Which drives me nuts because every night before bed him and DH have a snack, read a story and then lay in bed together and watch a cartoon or a movie and fall asleep. That has been the routine for over a year since I was always at work or going to work at bedtime.

[Digi Deborah]

Okay -- I'm gonna do devil's advocate real quick and say that...

Well - I imagine that children of all ages love attention (dur, lol). And I wonder if ... maybe it's getting worse (ie: another monster joins the first) because your son loved the extra, loving attention that he got from you... I would be afraid that he'll keep it going so that he can keep up the special attention...

That being said - if that is the case - I'm not sure how I would handle it -- but I thought I'd say something just in case so you could keep that in mind when you're trying different ideas :)
I'm gonna agree here... more monsters = more attention. Kids are SO incredibly smart... and dare I say it... manipulative. Good luck!!

[Trixie Scraps]

Well it looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight since Drew decided that there is a monster in the closet. Last time I let him watch monsters inc. lol.

Apparently it is big and furry, with a tail like a cat, glowing purple eyes and it says "num num num" and can fly and is very hungry. gotta love kids imaginations, to be honest I keep looking over at the closet now too lol. It's the glowing purple eyes and the fact that it is hungry that creeps me out.

Any ideas on how to convince a 2 1/2 year old that there is no monster? I tried filling a spray bottle with water and a bit of perfume to make monster spray to make it go away but according to Drew, the monster drinks that for lunch. I tried casting a spell, but Drew told me the monster thought it was funny and I am all out of ideas. He won't go to sleep and I am sooo tired.

I don't mean to laugh, but you have one imaginative 2-1/2 year old... the monster drinks it for lunch about made me bust a gut... hopefully, its just a phase and he grows out of it quickly!

[JewelTheQueen]

Hows it going with the monster these days? Any updates?

[rubytuesday84]

It was hilarious, yesterday when DH got home from work Drew told him that the monster was back and DH opened the door and showed him that there was no monster he was standing there going "see, these are daddy's tools, this is mommy's wool, this is a box of toys, these are clothes etc..." - I should mention that there are only two closets in my tiny house, one in DH's and my bedroom and one in the kitchen so it isn't even like there is a closet in Drew's bedroom. Drew made him pull everything out of the closet in the bedroom, and I have to admit that I haven't seen the floor of the closet in about two years, we have so much stuff crammed in there. DH crawled into the closet with a flashlight and had to sit in there with the door closed for half an hour before Drew would let him out. Once he let DH out he announced that the monster was sleeping on the top shelf in the closet so again DH had to pull everything off of the shelf, go over it with a flashlight and stand on a chair to make sure that nothing was in there. Then he had to do it all again with the closet in the kitchen. Before we could put everything back in the closet we had to spray it with MonsterBGone spray.

Tonight DH had to check the closets, under all of the beds, there is now a stuffed animal in each closet and under the bed to scare the monsters away and I left out a plate of cookies in case the monsters got hungry. Although I am thinking that a monster might appear under the basement stairs next, when we were going down there for bath time (did I mention how screwed up my house is with the bathroom in the basement, no closets and I could go on and on) Drew was looking at the space under the stairs going "ooh mommy, dark and spooky."

Earlier today Drew was sent to our bedroom (only place with no toys lol) for hitting his sister in the head and he came running out of the bedroom screaming and crying. When I asked him what was wrong he told me the monster bit him. I have to admit I was freaked out for a second when I saw that his hand was bleeding, until I noticed that he was playing with my book and got a paper cut.

I really have to take some pictures once I clear off my memory card and scrap all of this.

[rubytuesday84]

Tracy - I can't help laughing at him sometimes either. I don't know where he comes up with half of the things that he does. I figure he is either going to be a writer or a very talented liar when he is older. I can hardly keep a straight face sometimes when he tells me that the pumpkin made him do it, or his toy tractor pooped in his diaper or his fish broke the toy.

That's another thing that drives me nuts, he is fascinated by all things spooky yet they scare the heck out of him, he sleeps with a toy monster, has toy pumpkins and loves watching halloween cartoons even though for one of them he will stand and watch the tv around the corner because he is too scared to look - it is a Rolie Polie one and to be honest, I think that some of the old Disney Cartoons are scarier than that one. He will beg to watch it even though he gets terrified.

[JewelTheQueen]

oh MY what a cutie. I mean, exasperating I am sure, but so cute!

[scraphappymama]

Hmmm, since Drew knew exactly what wouldn't work to get rid of the monster, ask him what would work. Then play off of Drew's own ideas. It might work.

I can't remember if my kids were afraid of monsters in the closets. But my second daughter always swore she never slept so she knew all that happened in our house in the middle of the night. Her ideas were always magical and full of princesses and fairies. I guess that's the difference between boys and girls. LOL

[rubytuesday84]

Thankfully the monster hasn't shown up tonight and Drew is sound asleep right now, come to think of it, Aly is sound asleep too... I can't remember the last time this happened at a semi decent hour.... woo hoo! I am off to scrap while I am still coherent lol.

[Digi Deborah]

On to new and better things!!! Good for you... scrap away, Diana... you deserve it!!!

[Catlady]

You should journal scarp this monster phase to funny. He can read it when he gets older and laugh about it with his kids someday. lol. enjoy the quiet time. :)

[Cjoy2Day]

I found a great kit w/ monster stuff and a label for monster spray. I loved my monster spray growing up. I've not had to use it w/ any of my 5 so far. I think its a cute phase.

[rubytuesday84]

Can you share where you found the kit? I haven't been able to find one yet.

[Cjoy2Day]

Can you share where you found the kit? I haven't been able to find one yet.

yes, let me go find it.

[scrapastrophe]

I feel your pain Diana, but your boy is just precious with his imagination. My Will has a bit of an imagination and often teddy did it or Speed racer made him do it. Timmy is a bit the same but we call his Timmyerisms - just really off the wall statements that come from no where!

[Cjoy2Day]

Can you share where you found the kit? I haven't been able to find one yet.


Did you get it? SO cute. I can't wait to do a spray bottle with it.

[rubytuesday84]

I haven't gotten it yet. It is so adorable, I have it in my wishlist I am just waiting for the end of the month since I have already spent my digi scrap budget for the month.