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It's Working, It's Working (touch wood)

2 replies

TreadmillMom · 08/09/2008 17:34

See my previous post

See this fabulous product

I bought this 'overpriced' nightlight 16 days ago and oh my God, it's working (touch wood)!!!

Basically, its a night light with a screen divided into 2, when it's sleep time an image of a rabbit fast asleep in bed is illuminated, when it's time to get up the other image a rabbit walking along with the sun shinning is illuminated and it all works with a timer.

Okay, so I thought crikey how much, but I was desperate DC3 is due a week on Saturday.

So I bought it home set the current time and the time I want DS2 to stay in bed till, 7am.

To help incentivise DS2 I also made a sticker chart with 'thumbs up' and 'thumbs down' depending on how his night went and told him 5 thumbs up in a row gets him anything of his choosing from the corner shop.

Once everything was set up I drew the curtains and called DS2 into his bedroom and explained how the clock worked and what it was for and we did a little role play practice where I set the clock for only 1 min ahead and told DS2 to lay down and 'sleep' but he was allowed to jump up the minute the rabbit was up.

We practised a few times and at bedtime I explained it to him for real.

Well, I was astonised, he stayed in bed all night from night 1, however, the moment he woke up he did run to my bedroom even whilst the rabbit was still asleep. I returned him to bed everytime and explained he was to stay there until the rabbit woke up.

Out of 16 nights I have only given him 2 thumbs down in total as he actually got up in the middle of the night, one night he got up 4 times and seemed utterly frustrated, though thank God he has not screamed or cried once when returning him to bed.

Four mornings ago he came into my room 4 times between 6am and 7 am complaining the clock must be broken because the rabbit hadn't got up yet.

That night, I explained that he wasn't to 'watch' the rabbit when he woke up but 'look' at it. If the rabbit is still sleeping then shut your eyes and go back to sleep, don't lay there watching him, waiting for him to wake, it's not a TV, I explained.

Well I cannot believe it, he has slept through the last 3 nights and has not called me or entered my bedroom until a few minutes after 7am, not only did I give him thumbs up stickers but Gold stars with them so he knows he has done exceptionally well and this morning he was tucking into a Cornetto at 9:30am!

He also now goes down at bedtime without me having to sit with him. He always asks me to stay but I tell him I'm going down to the dishes and will be listening to him on the monitor, as long as he is as quiet as a mouse I will come back up to check on him and he does not beg, argue or complain, just a simple Good Night. I never do go back up as it happens, I don't want him to be laying there waiting for me then expecting me to sit and stay, this way he falls asleep by himself everytime.

I haven't let DH near the kids at bedtime since I purchased the clock, I just cannot trust him to be consistant he's too soft but also too impatient.

I'll have to hand over the reigns a little probably when DC3 arrives but I'll have to give DH strict warning.

So the extortionate £35 has proved to be money well spent.

(Please excuse any spelling mistakes, I'm typing with 2 children bouncing in close proximity)

Good luck if you decide to try it out.

OP posts:
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TheGabster · 08/09/2008 20:29

KEWL! Well done you - and just in the nick of time by the sound of it.

Gives us all hope for the future.

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forevared · 09/09/2008 13:10

Well done treadmillmom, I've always found my ds1 responds well to bribery (he has a reward chart) and the rabbit clock looks great.
I'm tempted myself, as ds1 has started to wake about 6.30 I know it's not really early but an extra half an hour every day soon mounts up. He's getting a bit whingy by 4pm because he's tired, but I just can't get him to resume his afternoon nap. (I think he gave it up too long ago now). About 5.30 he then gets a second wind which sees him through to bedtime. So the rabbit might be just the trick for the morning.

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