Help, DS is dragging out going to sleep.

[wellsie]

I posted a month or so ago asking for help with DS who is now 2yrs 2mths. He had negotiated the cot and the stairgate and was becoming so dangerous at bedtimes that we have had to stay with him until he goes to sleep. This was working until the last week when he is now taking up to 2hrs to drop off. DH and I just don't know what to do. I am loathed to put a lock on his door as I think we have gone too far down this road but what other things can we try.
He has a nice little routine when going up to bed. Nice warm bath, 3 stories and then lights off with a cuddle and kiss and either Mummy or Daddy sat beside him. Trouble is he'll then start talking to you or trying to get out of bed. I'm so tired as I'm 5.5mths pregnant and really want to get this sorted before Baby no.2 arrives.
Please help, I need your suggestions and what worked for you.
P.S. He is only having a 30min nap at lunchtime and his average sleep at night is 10hrs.

[mumatuks]

We always get DS1 (2.6yrs) to "blow" his light out as we switch it off, we then say "mummy back in two minutes to check on you" and we honestly do go back in two mins. If he is awake I say very quietly "Hi DS mummy just checking on you, You're being a good boy, mummy come back in two more minutes" We repeat until he's asleep. I'll be honest in the early days we used to go in 6 0r 7 times, now we hardly even go back!

Sounds like you have a good established routine, just need to be firmer on the byebye bit. If he escapes from his safety gate by climbing over can you put another one on the top of it? Either that or try that rapid return method.

Hope you get somewhere with this soon!

[starlover]

second the rapid return method.

sit outside his door and every time he gets out of bed just take him back.
don't say anything, just tuck him in and leave.

[KBear]

Story tapes - Tweenies, nursery rhymes etc. Get some from the library - worked a treat on my DD.

Also. be firm, lots of kisses and hugs, tape on, firm "night night see you in the morning, love you" then door shut. Stick to your guns, it will be worth it (I know it's hard, I've sat on the stairs crying when DD was a toddler and couldn't get her to sleep!).

[staceym11]

i think the best method (as you have sat on his bed) would be going out for 2 mins like suggested below, he will get it, hold the door if he tries to come out (coz he prob will) and then go back in like you said, put him back in bed, say goodnight and be back in 2 and go back out and hold etc. eventually he will know your coming back and stay in bed, and praise helps here, good boy for staying in bed, one more kiss, mummy is going out for 2 mins i will be back, and come back, if he stayed more praise, kiss out, until asleep.

i dont know how well rapid return will work for you both, as he is used to having you close by and it is emotionally/physically straining, ie you have to pick them up generally!

[Orinoco]

I did less than 2 minutes for mine - I told her I was going for a wee then coming straight back... then I said I was going to brush my teeth...etc etc!

Got caught out one night when she stayed awake and I actually had to put on my pj's though!

[Smee]

Poor you - we've been there too. Gradual withdrawal worked for us, though DS is smaller so still in his cot, so we didn't have him following us. I used to tell him I was going to the loo or something similar that he understood, then came straight back. Then next time, leaving it a teeny bit longer before coming back. Same as the others really, but it does seem to work. Just do it slowly I'd say. I got ahead of myself once and left him for too long and he got hysterical and we had to virtually start again