Lay down! Stay!

No, I'm not talking about our dog, Loki. But too bad those commands don't work on kids. This last weekend we transitioned Garrett from the crib to a big boy bed. But we can't seem to get it through his head that he needs to STAY there. We've tried putting one of those door knob covers on the inside knob of his room, but when he can't open the door, he freaks out and starts crying. We've been doing the gate across his door so that he can't actually leave his room, but he just opens the door and stands there yelling until you come to him. Tonight, I got home from work and Doug was no where to be found, then I noticed that Garrett's bedroom door was closed but not latched. Twenty minutes later, Doug emerges. Garrett absolutely refused to stay in his bed unless Doug was there with him.

Maybe it's my own perception, but because I'm the harder parent break in the struggle for dominance, Garrett seems to be fine when I tell him it's time for bed. He maybe gets up once or twice, but then is fine in his room. However, since I was working late tonight, Garrett seemed to hone in on the fact that Doug isn't as adamant about the rules like Mommy is and used that against him, to Doug's disadvantage. Doug has been trying to study for a test he has tomorrow, and the poor guy hasn't gotten much done tonight because of Garrett.

I'm not saying that Doug is not a good parent. He's great in the ways that I lack, like fun and spontaneity. But because we're different, he lacks in the areas I'm good at, like discipline. I noticed yesterday that when Doug and Garrett were playing in his room, Garrett used every opportunity to get his hands on his pipes and bears, even though it wasn't bedtime. As soon as I walked in the room, Garrett would look at me and immediately say "Back? Back?" and put his pipes back on the shelf. Once I realized what was happening, I tried it a couple more times... leaving the room, and reappearing later to find pipes in his possession. Every time he saw me, the pipes were immediately put back on the shelf.

It would work out fine if I was home at bedtime every night. But I have bible study every Sunday night and work until 9pm every Monday night, thus leaving Doug to handle the ever clever Garrett in my absence. Because I'm the disciplinarian, I have no problem dealing with putting Garrett to bed and maybe even letting him cry it out. But Doug gets frustrated so easily, and the added strain of school work and studying isn't helping.

Someone please tell me that this stage will be over soon. I wish that Doug weren't laid off and that he was already a nurse so I could be a stay at home mom and do those things. These are the things that I like doing, and I know that Doug would much rather be the "provider" right now, and Fun Daddy when he gets home from work. All in good time I guess. Things are looking good for Doug getting into the Nursing Program, and I'm positive Garrett can't keep this up forever...

Any suggestions to make this an easier transition for both of us?