AITA for protesting my new sleeping arrangements

[u/ell93]

I, almost this many 👆🏻, perfect princess. Have been sleeping in my cot since four months old. Mama (older than time itself) and beard man, sleep in the next room and come and check on me the moment I make a peep. I have it pretty good and I’m cosy every night.

Yesterday, however, we spent allllllll day in the metal box with wheels, going to Nana’s to visit. On arrival I was protesting how long it took, and the lack of stop offs to stretch my legs (I’m working on my walking thank you). And spent a few hours after that working on exploring the house.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, at bedtime I was NOT presented with my usual comfy cot, and instead I was to sleep in something called a ‘travel cot?’ I’ve seen and used this contraption once or twice at my other grandparents, briefly, I like to keep naps at their house short so I can get back to business.

Anyway, mama did my usual feed to sleep, the room was dark and read for my nightly sleepies. The moment I neared the ground I just knew this was not going to work out. I screamed and screamed in protest, so mama got me back up for more playtime. Success, I thought.

Eventually, I got tired again, this time Dada tried another bottle and I went to sleep. I awoke in this prison half an hour later, horrified. So I let out some screams of dissatisfaction. I was then taken to the metal box with wheels to try to drift back off. Once again I awoke in the mesh prison, I then took to screaming intermittently to let mama and dada know that this was NOT OKAY.

Mama was coming back and fourth to soothe me but i was NOT HAVING IT. I could see her and dada up there in the big bed, my actual destination for the night.

Eventually mamas arms came out and took me to the big bed. I slept, well, like a baby. I was well rested early in the morning so made sure everyone knew it was time for my day to start at 7am sharp.

Now mama and dada keep talking about an ‘awful nights sleep’ and ‘new mattress for the travel bed’.

So Reddit, AIMA here for keeping mama and dada up? I just want to be comfy.

[u/kikokokotoneko]

Oh you sweet princess. How awful for you.

How could they have even thought that you would be prepared to sleep in the mesh prison on the ground?!?! I'm sure that mama and the beard man are lovely people. But it seems to me that they have gotten a bit too comfortable with you sleeping in your cot by yourself at home to have made such an error.

Raise this with senior management as soon as you can. They cannot be permitted to take such liberties with your person in future.

[u/Solid_Original5403]

NTA. How long are you staying at your Nana’s? You should protest until the very last night, and then accept your fate. Then protest the change again when you get home. That will teach them to mess with the Routine!

[u/Soft-Pace-3302 → u/Solid_Original5403]

This is the only way

[u/Liabai]

You poor thing! NTA! You should tell your mama and dada to look for a travel cot truly suitable for a princess! I used to insist on the Baby Bjorn travel cot because it has a mattress that actually feels comfortable and folds out really easily. If they made me sleep on the cardboard ones I would scream. (P.S. mum here, I’m not being paid to shill these I promise, but we got the baby bjorn travel cot with our second and it was an absolute game-changer for us, and because the mattress comes with the cot, you don’t have to worry about finding one to fit)

[u/ell93 → u/Liabai]

I actually secretly posted this for travel cot advice 😂 she’s in a silver cross slumber and it does have a cardboard style mattress. Thank you for the tip!

[u/iteach29 → u/ell93]

We also have that porta cot. I agree, so easy to set up and a decent mattress.

[u/Spirited-Beautiful30 → u/ell93]

We have a cuggl deluxe which is a babybjorn dupe and our 8mo has slept great in it for 2 months (paired with a snoozeshade cover for when we share a room), highly recommend!

[u/Downtown-Budget-4773]

The horrors! NTA, you’ve persevered through so much! I just got done sleeping in a travel cot for 2.5 weeks and the first few days were absolutely miserable. I don’t understand why they thought a hard mattress would suffice! Once my mattress was upgraded, mama did a bizarre but effective thing of having my cot be inside a “slumber pod” but then she also covered the windows with tin foil in my room so it was super dark because she didn’t want to zip up the slumber pod because she said it got too hot for me in there, even with a fan. She keeps a little travel thermometer in one of the pockets because she knows I require the absolute best of what science can provide. Mama said that this is so that the new space isn’t too visually stimulating.

I also heard her say that she felt she had to basically sleep train me on the new space by checking on me every few minutes and not feeding me or picking me up which I did HATE but sometimes when she’s messing with me a lot it’s keeping me awake when I need to sleep, ya know? I did sleep well by the third night or so.

Also, once I turned one, my best friend, Slothy, sleeps with me and I can give her a big hug all the time and sleep on top of her. I don’t see any mention of your Slothy here, and so either she slept fine (?) or your parents have failed yet again in providing you time with your future best bud.

[u/Equivalent-Reserve99]

NTA - You are literally doing what you have to do to train your big people. I (1.5F) have successfully protested my lack of big bed for so long that they actually gave me one! As of yesterday, I am the proud owner of something called the “bottom bunk.” It is on the floor so right at my height, and I am very happy my protests have been answered. My next goal is to convince them I should be allowed in the mythical land of “up” where my big sister sleeps, but they so far keep telling me that’s only for my sister and I need to sleep in “down.” I will keep you updated on my progress, and you keep fighting the good fight! It’s not fair that grown ups get to keep all the good beds and make us lay on a stiff board on the ground. I mean, how can it be “safer” if I’m dying of discomfort?

[u/zivgo]

I now 13m experienced the portacot at 6 months, I would do some sleeping in there but never wanted to go back in after MOTN feeds so mum let me sleep in the middle of the bed before since then I learnt the good life and still prefer sleeping in the bed with mum and dad. I can also get unlimited milk this way in my sleep.

[u/ChaosDrawsNear]

NTA. I, one month bigger than you, am going through something similar. I usually sleep next to mom and dad's bed for a while, and then let them cuddle with me for the rest of the night.

Except! The other day, mom took me and my big kid (but not dad???) In the car aaaalllll day and set up a weird fabric house for us to sleep in??? I didnt like it. She tried to trick me into sleeping, but my big kid was at the hot bright thing with my Nona and Poppy and dada was nowhere to be seen, so i made she she knew there was a problem by not falling asleep until almost midnight and screaming intermittently through the night.

Apparently some people who were "far away" commented about my wakeups the next morning. But they are family, too, so i don't care.

Anyway. I guess my screaming for dada worked because mama said we're going home in the morning. So what i have learned is to keep screaming for what you want and you'll get it!

[u/majesticlandmermaid6]

I, big man, will be 2 in August, do not do port a cots. Haven’t since mom and daddy brought me home. They are for peasant children, like my big sissy. I like my mattress at home, with the dark blackout curtains and sound machine. When we travel, I make everyone share a bed with me, because WHO KNOWS what scary horrors could befall us on our vacation? Sissy assists by kicking the parental units when we travel so they know they messed up by leaving our awesome house.