Tips for getting my son to stay in bed?

Question

My 2.5 year old son has always been a hard on to get to sleep. Now that the crib is down (he was able to crawl out of it and we were concerned he'd hurt himself) he's now constantly out of bed. Its normally 10pm by the time we get him into bed and that's with constantly putting him back in bed starting around 8:45. Daddy gets home at about 8:20 and the kids spend a little time with him and then it's bed time, but it's more of a bed fight. I think I'm creating a trough walking him back to his bed everytime he gets up and I'm personally extremely frustrated and tired of his getting up. We've tried snuggling/not snuggling, and nothing is working. HELP!!!!--Extremely tired mommy (I get up at 4:45am).

Answer 1

Well I understand that the kids get to see their dad for about 20 minutes before they go to bed.  When he gets home does he get them all worked up by playing around with them right before they go to bed.  In my situation if my husband gets home right before they go to bed he wants to play with them and get them all wound up then he goes okay kids ready for bed.  I try to explain that's not good to do right before bedtime.  Have your husband when he gets home go brush their teeth, read a book to them, then tuck them in for the night.  Good luck

Answer 2

Don't we all hate this problem.

My daughter was so bad I ended up wanting to tie her to her bed! (I didn't though in the end!) What I did, was everytime she got out of bed, even if she was coming into my room, the living room... wherever. I would pick her up, not talking and put her back in bed, walk out and gently pull the door to- don't shut it incase he feels your abandoning him etc.

I'd do this again and again, it felt like I was getting no where. Eventually they get the point.

You start putting him to bed at 8.45. Read him a story, tuck him up, say good night, walk out. If he gets out of bed, pick him up, put him back into bed, say goodnight, walk out. Do this again and again. It's tiring and frustrating, but if you don't say anything he'll learn- honestly, the change in my daughter from when we were saying 'come on time for bed now there;'s a good girl' to 'goodnight' was amazing. Though it's tough now, it's better when they're sleeping a whole night through because so can you!!!

You could also try setting him off to bed earlier, if he's only 2 and a half. If he wants to see his Daddy, try 8. 30. My 14 year old normally goes to bed at 9 (although she does read till 10)This means you'll get him settled quicker, and more time to sleep!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Well, you don't say how long this has been going on.  If it's been weeks then you have a tough battle up ahead.  If it's been days - you can still recover.

First, you need him to know WHO IS BOSS.  You are, not him.  When my daughter started her toddler bed, about a month later, she started getting out of bed.  She would cry, get up and open her door.  I had to nip this in the bud immediately.  I would stand at her door and would calmly take her back to bed and say "time for bed, goodnight" and leave the room.  After 2 or 3 times of this, then I would not say anything, just put her back to bed and close the door.  I did this at least a dozen times if not more.  It took about 20-30 minutes before she stayed in bed.  It took about 3 or 4 nights of this.  You can not give in, you can not give up and snuggle with him, then everything is out the window.  Then he knows the harder he cries, the more he gets up, mommy will cave.   Now, my daughter (2 1/2) stays in bed in the morning, until we get her, and I truly believe it's because of my "training".

Good luck.

Answer 4

I put one of those plastic doorknob handles on the inside of my daughter's door so that she couldn't get out.  I think it's "Safety First" brand, and it fits right over the doorknob - you have to squeeze it in a certain spot to be able to turn the handle, so my daughter couldn't get out of her room.  Try following a relaxing bed time routine, and then put your son to bed and don't give in.  Don't go back in his room, and don't give into his demands to come out.  If he is not tired at bedtime and still takes an afternoon nap, then you should probably do away with nap time.  Good luck!