Preschooler bedtime battles

Jeneva - posted on 01/12/2011

My daughter has always fought bedtime. But what has helped is having a very strict routine (bath, brush teeth, pj's, 3 books of their choice, lights out, singing a few songs, put on classical music, leave and close door). If she isn't ready to go to sleep she will stay up and talk/play quietly or read a few other books we keep in the room. Sometimes she'll try and get me to come in. But for the most part when she calls for me, I answer through the closed door. It took us a WHILE to get her to stay in her bed. We put a night light on and she loves the thing. So if she gets out of bed without our permission (at night only) then the light goes off. Period, end of discussion. She learned real quick that the rules were not to be messed with.

So there are my answers. I don't think laying down with him is a good solution. At this point it's just the novelty of being able to get up. So you need to find an appropriate consequence for not staying in bed (or at least the room). I should also mention we had to remove all toys from the room, they just kept her up. Now I could probably put them back but I haven't yet.

Melissa - posted on 11/20/2010

My little boy is doing the same thing lately. We just try to be consistant, We read two books with him in bed, then close the lights and give him his little "blanky" and sleep next to his bed for about five or ten minutes. Then leave. If he comes out we do just say "it's bedtime, go lie down in your bed and we will chaeck on you soon" Usually he falls asleep after that. But it does drag the night out a bit. He seems to require a little bit less sleep now than he did before.

Lynette - posted on 11/08/2010

no problem...I hope it all works out...we just take it day by day...

Alyssa - posted on 11/08/2010

I have tried to lay with him for a couple of nights and it just seems to make it worse. He gets very excited that I'm laying down with him and wants to talk about everything, read books and everything else. I guess he's just not used to having someone sleep with him. Thank you for your suggestion though. It is very much appreciated.

Lynette - posted on 11/08/2010

My 3yr old daughter has always slept in our bed. Bad on our part as she is the only child and we tend to spoil her. We also bought her a new bed last year but she still insists on falling asleep in mommy's bed (what she calls it). She can be dosing off in front of the tv or even in her own bed and she will cry to go to our bed. I let her fall asleep and then I carry her back to her bed. Sometimes she wakes up and calls for me but that's mostly because she's cold as she hates blankets on her. I think you should lay with him until he falls asleep. I have always done that with my one so she knows nothing else :(