Nightmares

We joke that our middle child is such a drama queen because she is always going on about something.... She has classic middle-child syndrome and I understand completely why she does.

Dani, the oldest, takes up a lot of the energy and attention in the room. And Gagie, the baby, you have to pay attention to or you're going to get something shoved in a hole or your wall repainted (not kidding). So sometimes she does end up getting left out and the outcome of that is usually a tantrum. It wasn't that bad when Dani lived in Odessa but has really gone uphill ever since October when Dani moved over here. I've been trying to take some one-on-one time with Shaye but it never really seems to help. She has always been the sensitive child. She really reminds me of myself when I was younger. If you look at her wrong or talk in a upset tone of voice with her, it will usually end in tears. She doesn't like to upset you, she doesn't like to be wrong, and she struggles with it all the time.

Lately, Shaye is having more and more nightmares. I remember she started having nightmares around 2.5 years old. She would just wake up screaming. Sometimes there wasn't one, sometimes there were 3 a night and it usually ended with her in our bed. Usually when the nightmares come back full force is when there is some sort of big change. If I remember correctly, at 2.5 is when she first got her "big girl bed". Then when we moved to Wink. When we had Gage. Started School. and I believe this current outbreak is from the onslaught of both Dani moving and Shaye & Gage becoming roomates. (She still hates the fact that she now has to share a room.)

I would say about 4 or 5 nights of the week, for the last month, she has ended up in our bed because some sort of nightmare. I ask her what she is dreaming about and she tells me that it is too horrible to even talk about. When she does talk, it's usually something bad has happened to someone in the family but she won't go into detail. I try to tell her that talking about the dreams might help. That if we figure out the problem maybe she can stop having these dreams but she refuses. I honestly don't know how to ease her mind. I've thought about changing up bedtime a little. Our bedtime is really unorganized. We are usually running around, being frantic chickens with our heads cut off, trying to find pajamas and dirty clothes to throw in the hamper or the kids are so hyped up that there is no controlling them lol.  I think maybe have her go to bed first and we can talk, read, pray.. whatever I can do to make her unwind and be peaceful at bedtime and then get Gagie into his bed after she has fallen asleep. I don't know if it'll really help but I've got to try. Hopefully we can get something going because these nights with her in my bed it wearing me out.

What do you do when your kiddos have bad dreams. Are they open with the dreams or as closed off as Shaye? Have you had to do anything drastic because of nightmares?