She was so excited for her "big girl bed" but now she won't sleep in it unless it's nap time during the day. She has a nightlight and we leave the hall light on during the night so I don't think the dark is an issue. Anyway, does anyone have any ideas on how to keep her in her bed. I'm contemplating duct tape... or I guess that maybe we can put the crib back together.
4 comments:
Hey I've dealt with the same thing...It depends on the the child. For our girls we started to put a gate up at their door. I could hear them if they truly needed something but other than that they weren't alowed out of their room until 6:30 am (which solved another problem)
For one of our boys we got him a glow worm that he could only use at bed tim...worked like a charm!
I read once that you can use just the matress in your room for a while and slowly move it a little futher away each night until it's on her bed...never tried it. (too lazy!)
Any way just some of my thoughts on the matter. Of course at this point we have up to 4 children stumbling into our room through out the night. We don't really mind. The absolute rule is they CANNOT sleep in our bed! They bring in there blankets and pillows and claim a spot on the floor and they have to take them back to their room in the morning.
Good luck!
Is the problem getting her to stay in her bed at bedtime long enough to fall asleep or is it that she wakes up constantly and comes to you in the night? The worst part about big kid beds is (for me anyway) that they know they can get out whenever they want to, so they do. We spend a few months struggling with them every night at bedtime putting them back in their bed whenever they get out and telling them to stay put. Some kids catch on and obey faster than others. I've never had a real problem with my kids coming into my room at night though because they have been conditioned to sleep by themselves. Good luck!
I read somewhere that you just have to make it so it isn't a cool thing to come out of bed. That you don't say anything to them, that you just put them in bed, and then leave. It may take you like 20 times of doing this before they think this is pretty lame and just go to sleep, but it works. I like the gate idea :). If she comes in at night you just have to wake up enough to put her back in bed, because she will always be sleeping with you if you let her. However, that is always my problem. I am never awake enough to put them back if they ever do crawl into our bed during the night.
You may think I'm awful.. but the only thing that worked was locking the door (turning the door knobs around). We set a strict bedtime routine (snuggles, story, soothing nighttime CD playing, shut and locked door). They learned that they couldn't get out and then eventually would go back into their beds.. now they never come out at night.. so it worked for us.. although some people think it's totally harsh. (sorry. ) ;)
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