2 hours everynight for a week returning 28 month old to bed HELP!

[Bexybear]

It looks so easy on Little Angles...House of Tinys... etcs... A couple of nights popping them back in and suddenly they drop off to sleep all on their with Dr Tanya looking all pleased...
In our house its been a right mare. DS seems to enjoy the whole put back to bed routine and thats with no talking or eye contact... We have to eat our dinner in shifts. Has any one tried any other methods?

[violetcream]

She is in a bed then?

[Bexybear]

We took the sides off a week ago when he started climbing out of his cot repeatedly for 2 hours every evening...now he just gets out of his bed..Its the same deal but slightly less dangerous!

[UCM]

Stairgate on her bedroom door maybe?

[Bexybear]

Hadnt thought of that...DS hates being shut in rooms and he would probably just work out a way to climb over it BUT we are desperate so maybe its worth a try... have you tried this method sucessfully UCM?

[UCM]

Yes, once they realise that they will only get as far as the doorway it's not as interesting

[twickersmum]

i didn't use a stairgate but my other NCT friends did and they had great success!
after nights of "back to bed" and her thinking it was all a big game, we ended up tying the bedroom door handle to the bannister with a dressing gown belt so that it would open but not enough for her to get out. she freaked for 30 mins or so, then realised she wasn't going to win and went to bed. never looked back.

all i have to do now is tell her if she wants the door open she has to stay in bed. if she keeps getting up then i will shut the door. the only excuse is if she needs me urgently e.g. she's done a poo!

[Bexybear]

thanks twickers and ucm...
I ran the stairgate idea past DH and he thought DS would be over it in a few minutes.. he has perfected the art of moving furniture around so he can climb up and get things off the top of cupboards etc...

But I think tying the door to the banister might work - we have done controlled crying three times in the past two years and i couldnt face the idea of another full on screaming session but Ive now realised it is the only way to make the point...

maybe i'll wait till after christmas though!

[LoveMyGirls]

i dont think you should give up now you have started or you'll be making a rod for your own back imo

there's no reason you cant do the dressing gown belt thing tonight is there?

i know you're exhausted and have had enough of it but really you might not be far off now - if you wait you will have to start all over again with him thinking he's won!!

stick to your guns, be consistant and persevre they will soon learn and that goes for everything not just bedtimes.

[LoveMyGirls]

btw we did the stairgate thing and dd1 did climb over it and took her nappy off and covered herself in pooh..........

but after 2 weeks she stayed in her room and never climbed over it again.

[Bexybear]

comiserations jellyhead at least DS hasnt worked out how to get his nappy off yet..but the thought of a whole month of returning to bed fills me with horror. espeically as the situation has escalated and DS now gets up every hour and half through out the night until 5am when we let him stay in our bed and he sleeps like a baby till 8 so we are all late for work...had very low levels of 'will to live' before this due to continuous bouts of flu... now have zero!

lovemygirls ~I know you are right... giving up is not a solution and tonight i will re-enter the battle with renewed vigor!

[FennelHumbug]

2 of mine did this at this sort of age. It took several weeks of the recommended no-nonsense no-talking putting firmly back approach. It did work, but it took longer than the books or TV programmes might suggest. And it's worth it when they do start sleeping properly and you regain all that energy.