My boyfriend's 10 year old daughter has just recently begun having trouble falling asleep. We've lived in this house for over a year and never had trouble before. Now, unless he is upstairs or in the bed with her, she won't fall asleep. She says she's either scared, hears noises, her stomach hurts or just can't fall asleep.
He continually goes up there every time she calls. Finally he started telling her no, but then after three times, he goes up there, so ultimately she gets what she wants - which is him either in bed with her or upstairs until she falls asleep. I feel like every time he tells her no is negated once he caves in. This has also become an hour and a half to two hour process that takes over our night.
Now she always asks if we are going to bed too. Or if he will be upstairs. This has NEVER happened before and I believe now she knows that if she keeps coming downstairs or calling for him, eventually he will cave and go up there, because every time he does. Please, any suggestions would help. Especially with trying to communicate this to him. I've tried to tell him that this is setting a bad precedent, but he said it was a one-time thing. Except now it happens every night.