I have to start out by saying that this blog entry is half confession and half recommendation.  The confession stems from the fact that the underlying premise of the whole Sleep Fairy ritual is bribery - pure and simple.  My educator self whole-heartedly believes that children should be intrinsically motivated and that extrinsic motivation usually ends in a lost of interest in the very thing we are trying to develop.  Yet, my parental self needed a kind and gentle way to transition the girls from our family bed to a bed of their own.


In comes The Sleep Fairy - a lovely bedtime story that helps parents set the stage for this greatly anticipated life change.  The story is about a Sleep Fairy that is all-knowing when it comes to the bedtime routines of children.  When she spots boys and girls following their bedtime rituals and sleeping in their own beds the whole night through, she leaves a little surprise for them under their pillow. 


I must say that The Sleep Fairy has worked very well for our family. Before I read the story to the girls I gathered a supply of (very inexpensive) gifts.  Some of the things I used were stickers, pens, pencils, notepads, barrettes etc.  The first week or two was hit and miss.  It is crucial during this time to only give Sleep Fairy surprises when your child is successful in accomplishing all aspects of his/her bedtime routine.  After the initial phase, the girls began to sleep through the entire night in their own bed on a consistent basis.  We continued with the gifts for a couple of months.  Once their nightly routine was firmly established, we explained to them that the Sleep Fairy has to focus on helping other children who are just learning to sleep in their own beds and that she will only be coming on special occasions.  They understood and appreciated the special visits when they occurred.  It did not take long before her visits tapered off completely without being missed. 


I am happy to report that the girls have maintained their healthy sleep habits for over a year now.  They have also maintained their “intrinsically motivated” attitude towards the world.  I learned that there is not only “one right way” to do things and that when done thoughtfully and with love almost anything can have positive results.