Is it okay to hold my 2 year old down?

Question

While putting my 2 year old to bed, he doesnt want to, and he wants to get up and go play and do whatever, so i kind of bear hug him, or have my arm over him holding him not letting him get out of bed, he cries and freaks out for about 5 mins then i say " fine go away then" then he stops and stays with me and falls asleep.

is it okay to hold him there? or am I suppose to let him just get up and keep bringing him back to bed over and over..?

I stopped breast feeding him 2 months ago (he just turned 2 last weekend) and he has always gone to sleep while nursing, so he doesnt really know how to fall asleep with out getting upset. sometimes he will just lay there and go to sleep but usually he fights me.

Answer 1

Always stopping a kid from what he wants to do gives adverse effect on his development. Let him what he want, after sometime  he will come and sleep with you.

Giving him a hug and making him sit on your lap will increase the love between you and him.

Some of the users had told about discipline. Discipline means improving the lifestyle and is the way for success not hampering the freedom of a 2 year old kid.

Answer 2

when he gets out of bed dont talk to him and just put him back in HIS bed ...you might have to do this a few time till he get the point

just tell him time for bed the 1st time an nothing else from there

if needed put a small radio in his room and play some soft music

Answer 3

if his bedroom door does not have a lock then put him in bed and shut the door

Answer 4

turn off all the lights in the rest of the house. in his room too if he is not afrade of the dark, put him to bed.  if he gets up, tell him it is time for bed and if he says no or whatever. put him back in bed. he may scream or cry. but dont coddle him, let him cry. he will learn bed time means bed time. right now you are playing out a power struggle.

Answer 5

you need to set up a new sleep routine for him. Warm bath, do teeth, and then lay in bed and read two stories. Explain to get those stories he has to lay in bed and hopefully he will be relaxed enough to soon drift off. Do not lay with him till he is alseep as you are setting up another pattern you will ahve to break. He needs to learn to go to sleep by himself. If he gets up you take him back to bed. Do not talk to him, just take him by the hand and back to bed. No interaction. He will soon learn that there is no playing and no interaction with you and will soon learn to put himself to sleep

Answer 6

you dont really have to bear hug him.just let it be known that you mean business.A quick pop on that behind works too.Trust me I have three!!! Remember child abuse is when you abuse your child,not when you give good discipline.

Answer 7

You need to have a regular bedtime routine for him.  You shouldn't be holding him down in bed, that will only make him think that bedtime is a bad thing.  Does he have any comfort objects (blanket, teddy bear, favorite toy) that he would like to bring to bed?  Or since you are not nursing anymore, have you tried laying him down and reading a story to him in place of the nursing?

It sounds as if he is already in a bed - so once you leave the room, just ignore him if he gets out of bed.  He may get out of bed to play for a few minutes or to get a toy to bring to bed.  That actually is pretty normal for kids who have moved to a bed.  If you go back in to make him go to bed, then he will know that you will give him attention for getting up.  He will be more likely to learn to fall asleep on his own if you do not return to his room :)