Oh, this is not good

[flea]

Casper is afraid of our heating system. We have steam heat with radiators, and there is the tick-tick-ticking, and the whoooshing, and occasionally the BANG BANG BANGing. (Yes, we turned it on Tuesday night. mr. flea was begging.) Last night she got scared right after we put her to bed and she ended up sleeping in her crib with her puppies to protect her. Then she was awakened at 3am by more banging and we had to put her in our bed. She didn't argue when I said she couldn't nurse, but did fall asleep with her arm around my neck.

I explained at some length but I hope in simple terms how the heating system works and why it bangs sometimes and that heat is good. (This was at 3am, so I can't remember at all what I said now, but at the time I was impressed with myself and mr. flea was too.) I hope this helps some, but I can't expect a two year old to be all rational about what scares her (I am, but I know I'm a freak). I am trying to impress on her how valiant her coterie of stuffed dogs are, and how they will protect her in the night.

IOCasperN, we need to get her some slippers, because we don't wear shoes indoors but she kept falling down last night because she was wearing slippery tights, and we need to get her some more warm fleece pajamas because only 1 pair fit from last year. I'm thinking 2-piece footies, so she can get out of them by herself to pee when we get to that point.

Comments

[ste-noni.livejournal.com]

Last night she got scared right after we put her to bed and she ended up sleeping in her crib with her puppies to protect her.

This is so cute I don't have words for it.

I hope she gets used to the noises.

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

Depending on the type of heating system, the banging may be caused by air that has collected in the pipes over the fallow summer. You may be able to "bleed" the radiators (there's a cheap little 'key' you can get at hardware stores that will open the standard valve in them) and eliminate much of the noise, which will lead to sounder sleep for you all!

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

I used to get scared out of my wits by house settling noises when I was wee. (Also by the big sun lamp my father used to keep in my closet. It looked like a monster at night. Really.) I hate to think how much damage would've been done to my psyche if we'd had steam heat in that house. Fortunately I didn't have to deal with that until I was a teenager. Then it was more a matter of having it right at the foot of my bed, so I was constantly burning my feet in the middle of the night.

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Casper is probably too young for the rational explanation to have much impact. I think you're on the right track with "the stuffed dogs will protect you" line; when Sean was younger he feared unspecific monsters at might & it helped a lot when I told him that Molly (our dog) wouldn't let any monsters get past her.

[cashmerepett.livejournal.com]

I've ordered Owen some of these for the winter on hardwood floors. I like their slipper socks, too. I may need to order a pair of those in my size.

I just did the whole fleece pj shopping trip thing, too. They grow too fast.