Wake Up Happy Rule

I've always been a schedule momma and I'm not ashamed to say it.  I've stuck pretty close to the Baby Wise method and it has worked for us.  It doesn't mean that it is the only way to parent, it is just the only way WE have chosen to parent.  It works, and when we find something that works, I'm not really inclined to change much, ya know?

That being said, I have had a breakthrough with Micaiah.

It has always taken Micaiah a L-O-N-G time to fully wake up after a nap.

I mean, maybe you have "one of those kids" who automatically wakes up and talks and plays when they wake up from a nap, but Cai - not so much.

Until one day.

I had accidentally left a toy caterpillar rattle in his bed with him.  It was about the time he usually wakes up and I thought I kept hearing something from his room.

Finally, I got up and stood by his door and listened.

Sure enough, he was sitting in his bed, talking to himself and playing with his little toy as he waited patiently for me to come and get him out of bed.

What?!  Why in the world had I never thought of this before???  Maybe because "the book" said to never put toys in the child's bed because he might get confused with play time and sleep time.

So, even though my wonderful book of parenting advice has rarely failed me, I have come to a new conclusion: Maybe a toy or two in the bed isn't such a bad idea after all.  It may, in fact, become the sweetest distraction for the whole family to divert his "I'm awake, get me up!" scream.

Have you found anything that helps your baby wake up happy?  I'd love to hear some other tricks in case he becomes immune to the toy-in-the-bed thing:)