Nightmare now scared of toilet. long

A few nights ago McKayla came through to our bedroom and told me she had a funny dream. I was busy feeding Andrew so woke Grant up and he got up and put McKayla back to bed and waited until she fell asleep.

Then about 20 minutes later (yip I know time as I watched it after I fed Andrew) we heard the most awful screams. Seriously it made our blood literally stop and it sounded like someone is either busy killing her or dragging her somewhere. Her room is right next to ours. So me with Andrew in my arms (he co-sleeps with us) and me shaking Grant was literally out of the door into hers. She wasnt in her room but sitting on top of the toilet (toilet is across her room) screaming about crocodiles. She was as white as a ghost. Grant literally grabbed her and hugged her until she calmed down. (BTW nightnappy was off and I think she might have gone to the toilet and either saw a shadow in the hallway or fell asleep and woke up with a nightmare)

She kept on screaming crocodile ect. So once she was calm (we gave her rescue remedy and hugged her in our bed with lights on until she calmed down she told us there is one in her bed and 2 in the hallway and one in the toilet. Grant took her to her room and she could see there was none. She said she realise it is only pretend ones.

Thing is since then she doesnt like going to sleep in her room. She is tossing and turning. First night after this we tried to get her to her bed and it was aweful. She kept on screaming at us that it isnt bedtime. And throwing a tantrum but she didnt say she was scared. It was only when she calmed down that we realised she is still scrared. So she fell asleep on her sleepercouch in the lounge and then put her in our bed. Second night she fell asleep in the lounge and then her bed and last night straight in her bed with Grant sitting in her room (far away from bed). She does wake up now again and coming through to our bedroom and sleeping part of night with us.

But our biggest thing is the toilet. This child literally will not go unless you go with her. Specially coming nighttime. (It is still totally light at 9 at night but even at 5 in the afternoon she starts acting up). Now she was at a drop off session at Playcentre and I told the supervisors all this and she did ask one of them to go with her. But today at home I saw her go by herself and I thought great. But not 10 minutes after that she had an accident and pood in her pants. I did go to the toilet (she usually dont flush as she is scared of the noise) and saw there is nothing. Which means she went and didnt go. Her answer when I asked her about this is it just happened before she realised she is busy making one and I am sorry.

Now after this long essay does anyone have any advice for me on the way forward. We kept on going in there to show her there is nothing to be scared of. I dont want to play too much into this but it really seem to have affected her a lot. (she had a glass of cooldrink with artificial colors in it a week before and her behaviour was just horrid and she usually get night terrors with certain colors as well so I think this is where it came from.)

She knows they were only pretend ones. Grant did tell her just jump on their mouths and turn them around and tickle tummy ect and she laughs but she is really terrified of the toilet.

We found a solution. Back to sitting at her door until she is asleep. Have scattered flowers around the bed as crocodiles dont like nice smells. Then the fairies in the garden told Daddy a recipy that scares pretend crocodiles and they made it together in a spray bottle so now she sprays it in the toilet if she is scared.

So far so good. But now she is not sleeping through in her bed anymore and she is back in ours for part of the night.

She is fairy obsessed. And mermaids as well.