Toddlers staying in bed

[numnum]

Me and friends have been talking about our little ones escaping from there beds at bedtime

My little one has always done it from the moment she got put in her bed. The first week she was in it I was up and down about 50 times the first night then less and less. Then she'd only come down every now and again and we'd take her back up and tell her its sleepy time, no stories, cuddles, talking. Just straight back to bed as she already gets her cuddle and story and bedtime

Friends were saying there toddlers haven't yet discovered that they can get ou tthe bed and aren't looking forward to it when they do because they're not sure what they'll do

My toddler has started sneaking out again so we're now having to threaten to remove her comfort toy or shed have us up and down for hours and be running riot

What do you do?

[sherrardk]

We wake up every morning with our three year old twins in our bed (sometimes, if we are lucky, there will only be one of them). I go for the 'anything for an easy life' approach. This is not going to go on forever and our other children did it and grew out of it themselves. I would rather have a happy, sleeping child than a crying, awake one. They do say that if you preserve for a week then you will crack the problem but I have never tried it so don't know if that is true. Good luck!

[Buenchico]

From the SuperNanny website:
http://www.supernanny...s-to-Stay-in-Bed.aspx

[annie0000]

We just told ours to stay in bed and they did. They never attempted to get up and come downstairs at all. In the morning they would stay in bed until they were given permission to go down. That was probably until they were about 5ish when they were allowed to get up themselves and go down and put the tv on. I have no idea why it worked, I just thought that was normal!

[DTCwordfan]

annie same with ours, allowing for a sleepwalker which was a little disconcerting!

[ummmm]

I was like Sher....easy life was the way forward.

My eldest was a sleepy head so she stayed in bed and I'd have to wake her in the morning. Middle...I thought was an absolute nightmare but with hindsight he wasn't. He slept with me every night until about a month before his brother was born. I just explained he had to sleep in his own bed as Mummy was going to have to look after the baby at night....and he did. Simple as that.

Youngest...not a problem.

[Buenchico]

Annie:
Are you sure that you weren't slipping some gin into their bedtime drinks?
;-)

[DTCwordfan]

only for teething - Tanqueray works wonders! After all it sunk a tanker. As was said, why don't Exxon staff drink gin?

The Capt of the Exxon Valdez, "I want a Tanqueray on the Rocks, not a Tanker."

[annie0000]

lol Chris - no definitely not! as I say, I thought that was normal. Eldest moved into a toddler bed when he was about 16 months - we needed the cot for 2nd when he was about 3 months as he'd outgrown his crib. He was a climber so got moved into toddler bed at just over a year old and eldest moved into a cabin bunk - he'd have been just over 2 then. They had a safety gate on their bedroom doors - didn't like the thought of it being on the top of the stairs and them being able to go into the bathroom unsupervised. Maybe they just saw the gate and decided there wasn't any point! Most of their toys were downstairs in their playroom, so they didn't have a lot of stuff in their rooms to be bothered with. they went to bed about 7 and slept until 6 -6.30 ish and would lie in bed singing or looking at books or playing until we felt guilty and got up. When they were out of nappies we just took the gates of the doors so they had access to the toilet and that was that.

[karenmac60]

I bought my daughter one of those wee v tech computers and she used to play hangman and other word games at bedtime. She'd play on it for a half hour or so then fall asleep. Not only did it keep her amused, but she could read by the time she started nursery.

[daffy654]

I used a stairgate across their bedroom doorway, they could get out of bed but couldn't leave the room. I quite often found them asleep on the floor amid a pile of toys.

[lcg]

my son (who is 17) still sometimes comes to bed with me to watch a film in the evening (we call it a movie night and watch silly crap films) and even crawls into it in the mornings when there is a grand prix on so we can all watch it. the sight of me, mr kicker, the boy and three cats in a bed is hilarious! kids do come and crawl into your bed as they want to be close to you and snuggle up too. it's nothing abnormal and if it means you get more sleep, why not? i like the time i spend with my son - it's a great opportunity to talk about college, friends, his girfriend, work and life in general and he is more relaxed and open when settled in bed (it is a very big bed!). do what you feel is the best compromise for everybody and don't worry so much about parenting - you are probably doing a great job! x

[lylabellablueyes]

I have a gate on her door. Have u tried this?

[k8bailey]

we've got a gate on the door too! Explain that it isn't time to get up until you say so, we've put lots of books and quiet toys in our little girls room and she knows that if she gets up before mummy she can read or play in her room quietly. She's 2yrs 10months btw and we've been doing this since she was 2.

We don't have a problem getting her to bed because she doesn't have an afternoon nap (her choice), if we let her stay up until until 8pm she asks to go to bed!

[numnum]

yeah, but the gate made her go wild. i think if it had been there from when she was born she'd have been used to it but we tried to put it there when she started crawling and it didn't work. just made her scream. we already have 3 stair gates in our normal sized house because our children are clmbers

i'm finding just marching her back to bed works then the occasional night where you'll be up and down a lot.

she doesn't have a daysleep anymore so i know she's tired

[fairycakes69]

My eldest stayed in bed till she was told she could get up, thought all kids did that, boy was I wrong, Had twin boys and they just didn't sleep or one would the other would be awake, once walking they were up and down all night, just clilmbed stair gate at bedroom. Put gate hooks on kitchen and living room doors to stop them causing more damage. We didn't know what sleep was for 2 1/2 years, nothing worked, they wouldn't even come into bed with us. Went into hospital to have another set of twins (I know we're mad) was in for 10 days came home and the boys slept all night from then on. Though we were back to sleepless nights for another year. Now they are 21 and can't get them out of bed at weekends till after 2.00. Some are sleepers others are not.

[I.Don No]

I don't at all wish to sound harsh but you have to remember who is the parent in this situation. Say what you mean and mean what you say....simples