My grandson is almost three years old. My daughter bought a secondhand bed in the shape of a car for him, and ever since, he has not wanted to go to bed because he says the children
are in his room. Loud noises upset him and he has now started putting the pillow over his head to go to sleep. Is it possible that the bed is the problem? If so, will getting rid of it help him?
Vicki
Susyn:
Children's instincts are usually more in tune with the spirit world than those of adults. It is important that you acknowledge his fears by addressing the issue right away or it could affect his emotional well-being.
Based on the fact that your grandson's reluctance to go to sleep coincided with the purchase of the secondhand bed, it is probably safe to say that this is where the problem lies. We always have to be careful when bringing used items into our homes, for they can and do often come with unwanted guests or energies.
There are a few things you can try before getting rid of the bed altogether. First, smudge the bed and bedroom with a sage stick. (You can purchase at smudge stick at any metaphysical store.) Light the sage, and when it begins to smolder, use it as a wand to cleanse all areas of the room. As you smudge, say aloud, All children who are not supposed to be here must now return home. All entities attached to this bed must leave the premises at once.
If this bed came into your home with childlike spirits attached, the entire room will need to be cleansed. Be sure to target doorways and windows as well as any lamps, toys or electronic items.
If this does not calm your grandson's fears, the second thing I would recommend is replacing the mattress. Sometimes the place where a person had the most contact while they were alive holds their energy and vibrations strongly. If you try this, you may be able to keep the frame and car theme of the bed while ridding it of any unwanted ghosts.
I do not feel that these spirits are harmful; it sounds more like they simply annoy the boy. Regardless, it is important you address your grandson's fears and make sure that these entities are cleared out. If you don't do this, it would be understandable for his fears to grow deeper.
You may or may not want to include your grandson in these rituals; it all depends on his own desires and understanding. Tell him that you are going to perform a ritual to get rid of the children in his room so that he can sleep more peacefully in his new bed. Ask him if he'd like to perform the ceremony with you. This in and of itself should make him feel more empowered and safe in his room.
Your grandson will be the best test of whether smudging or replacing the mattress works. He should instantly sense a change in the atmosphere of the room. If he still resists going to bed, you may have to get rid of it altogether. Keep in mind that you will still want to smudge the room after the bed has been removed to ensure that any lingering entities are cleared out.
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Oceania:
Your grandson sounds like he is stressed as a result of adjusting to change, so I'm wondering if this is his first big boy bed.
Moving from a crib to a bed is a milestone of childhood. There are good books written just for toddlers on this subject, including Your Own Big Bed by Rita Bergstein.
He may be missing his old bed and simply need more time to adjust. A helpful transition tool is to place the old familiar crib next to the new bed and allow the child to use the old bed for sleeping and the new bed for playing, resting or napping until it becomes more familiar.
Because your grandson is referring to children in the room, you might closely examine the new bed and linens. Bed frames and linens designed for kids often have faces or figures on them, which could be the source of his comments. You might even look underneath the bed for any drawings or stickers left behind by the former owner.
The fact that the bed looks like a car could be confusing to a toddler because they think so concretely. He might be worried that the car is going to drive away and take him somewhere while he's asleep, and that he'll wake up somewhere else, so you might explain that THIS car isn't going anywhere.
While the new bed seems like the obvious trigger of your grandson's stress, it may not be! Perhaps you and your daughter could examine the bigger picture and see what other changes have been unfolding in his life or the lives of those around him. Toddlers have to deal with the challenge of potty training, learning to socialize with other children, the possible start of preschool or daycare, and sometimes the birth of a new sibling, which can lead to distress about feeling replaced.
Putting the pillow over his head to get to sleep may indicate hypersensitivity to light and sound. People with this trait often need to sleep in rooms that are very dark and quiet, and might even require eye masks, ear plugs or white noise machines to sleep well. If he fits this profile, you can learn more from Dr. Elaine Aron's book, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You.
Sleeping with a lovey
(a favorite toy, stuffed animal, blanket or article of clothing) might soothe your grandson and help him feel more comfortable and secure in his new bed. Having a consistent bedtime routine also helps relieve a toddler's anxiety. Soothing bedtime rituals can include a nightly bath, song, story, chat, listening to soothing music or turning on a special night light. With love and patience, I'm sure he'll eventually enjoy sweet dreams!
Astrea:
Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.
Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!
While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!
I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!
As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.
I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.
You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!
Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.
A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.
You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.