About 6 weeks ago we put ds (2.5yrs) in a bed since he was able to get out of his cot with toys, a blanket and still wearing his growbag. I expected that he'd spend a couple of nights exploring his new found freedom in his bedroom. It is now weeks of him getting out of bed and trying to play with whatever is in his room. This is not very much - no toys, no books. It is currently taking anywhere between half an hour and an hour for him to settle down and go to sleep. Please someone suggest something I could try.
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Behaviour/development
Lact8 ·
07/06/2006 22:55
Have you thought of trying a stair gate? We have one on ds2 (2) door. He can't wander around but isn't completely shut in IYSWIM
It took me until I was about 9 to be able to sleep with my door closed and would panic if anyone closed it accidentally
DS2 just gone in big boy bed. He is fussing more than when he was in his cot. I ignore it for first half hr or so. THen I go up and tell him he can ahve a small drink, a story and then sleep. He usually calms after that but has fallen asleep on the floor every night so far 
kayzed ·
07/06/2006 23:58
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
fuzzlepelts ·
08/06/2006 12:48
This is a subject close to my heart. DD went in to a bed almost 3 weeks ago and has been fine..... until last night - it took me almost 2 hours of "I've done a wee wee", "I've got bogies", I need a kiss", I want this and I want that and so on. It was exhausting and I was quite ready to put her on ebay
! Eventually DH got her to settle by threatneing to put the bars back on her cot bed. I don't really want to do that so have resolved to do TB method of rapid return tonight. I too am dreading 7pm 
clairemow ·
08/06/2006 22:46
Elibean, that is Supernanny . But Tanya Byron is pretty similar, she calls it "rapid return" - you put the child in bed as normal with story/drink, then say good night and leave. Every time they get out you go and put them in, without turning lights on or speaking at all. I saw one programme where the parents had to do this 298 times one night - but that was EXTREME!! And the next night the little girl only got out once. And she'd never slept in her own bed before so that was a success I'd say!
We found the stair gate the best thing though. Some of you may think this is a terrible thing to do, but I have resorted once or twice to tying the door handle to the stair gate so he can't open the door at all - 2 1/2 hours of rapid returning is pretty wearing.., esp when DS thinks it's funny and keeps laughing.
To be honest, DS found the TB method a game. Like frogs it all went wrong after DS spent 3 nights at my parents', and they too were v. gentle and spent ages sitting with him, coaxing him back in etc. So when we got home, we decided to go hard core, and had the screaming thing like you allatsea - although it was only 45 mins the first night, and 10 the second, since then no problem at all. Now, he climbs into bed, and settles really well - at home and when he's away. In the morning he's stopped getting out too, and plays games happily with Teddy.
It will pass, when the novelty wears off!!
One thing I would say though, decide what "solution" you're going to try and then stick to it - if you're going to try "controlled" (ha ha) crying then you need to do it again tomorrow, and I bet the time he complains is shorter. Of course, if it really isn't working and he's working up into a state night after night, maybe the more gentle TB method is the way to go.
Sorry for lengthy post. Got a bit carried away.
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fuzzlepelts ·
12/06/2006 09:13
allatsea - how's it going.
My dd seems to be accepting staying in at the mo. I was dreading last night as I was on my own and she got up once wanting a clean nappy and then again saying "I've got bogies" at which point I threatened to put the bars back on her cot bed and this seemed to work (not that I have any idea how to actually do that)
bourneville ·
12/06/2006 09:33
clairemow - i don't have a stair gate but i have resorted to tying the door handle to a hook on the wall. works a treat & i don't often have to actually use it any more but i really really wish i didn't have to use it, even though dd isn't that phased by it (1st time she was upset but only for about 5 mins), and now it seems she is actually happy to know that it would happen! like it's a routine or security or something 
. I wish i had the patience to stick with rapid return but just couldn't. having a boyf insistent on stress free child free evenings didn't help - the first night she got up at bedtime he happened to be here and it was my birthday so rapid return went out the window. :( If i was by myself i may have stuck to it that one evening to see if it worked for the rest of the week. Previous to that, she got up in the night & i stuck to it & she never got up again following nights so i think it might have worked. damn!
but she did find it all a game (we tried it for about 10 mins) she really was just taking the p*.
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