Waking early?

[Wossisface]

Any tips ? My 3 y/o is waking early 0500 sometimes earlier, she will not goback down, won't lay in my bed won't stay inher room just wants me up, I also have a baby and have just returned to work, two days a week they have to be woken or not as the case may be, at 0600 to go to my mums and mil house, So not sure if it's unreasonable for me to expert her to get up early one day and sleep a bit longer the next. We have every clock etc going !! Nothing works, it interferes with her behavior and it means a lot of the time she still needs a nap and this is not practical with her starting to go to preschool 9-3 one day a week in sept.

Any advice/opinions etc very welcome

[Wossisface]

Meant to write it's only tues and wed they have to be up early.

[Octaviapink]

Both our children get up at five. Nothing has worked in terms of late supper, going to bed later, shorter/fewer naps, no naps. They just get up at five. We go to bed at ten. It's not so bad - I've been up for two hours now and got loads done this morning!

[LaGuerta]

The only thing that helps but doesn't necessarily solve it completely (still an early-ish riser) is playing complete hardball. So suffering no nonsense when my 3yo wakes: straight back to bed/in his room if he won't stay in bed. We have a clock which he understands but sometimes ignores. We have found that the clock in combination with either a reward (going out for burger and chips) or a punishment (cancelling that afternoon's playdate) made a big difference and gets him back on track. Whereas the clock by itself is less effective when he is having an early waking regression. Whatever threats or promises I make I always follow through with them, and take the pain of the cancelled playmate.

Whether you can change the get up time is a moot point in this house. DH has started a new job and has to get up at 6.15 which wakes everyone up if they aren't awake already. He thinks it's ok have the clock set later at the weekend. I disagree. Currently I am winning so I am up this morning.

[helsbels03]

When you find an answer to early waking please let me know!! My. Dd1 age4 wakes most days at 5 am. All she wants to do is then get into bed with me. We have started letting her come downstairs and play quietly with 'special morning toys' . This has been much more effective than clocks/rewards/punishments etc. I put the toys on the sofa so when we come down (6ish)she is at least laying half resting. I can only hope full time school will make a difference, starting nursery helped her sleep through.

Your dd may sleep better once she starts nursery?
P.s. My dd shares a bedroom with dd2 else I would have put the toys in her room rather than downstairs.

[kalo12]

what time does she go to bed?

[Wossisface]

Thanks for replies. She also shares a bedroom with her baby sis, i did think of making her a special morning box filled with toys she can play with in the spare room (box room) to keep her occupied. She goes to bed at 7. We have tried putting her to bed later for a week we put her to bed between 8-9 and she still woke at 0500! And even more tired later that afternoon. So gone back to 7 so she has at least 10 hours sleep. I guess it's just the way she is maybe I should just go to bed earlier and get up earlier.

Do they have to get used to not having a nap? Or is it something that just happens naturally when there ready? She becomes so difficult to control when she is tired in the afternoons but I really don't want her to nap anymore.

Thanks again.

[NedSchneebly]

Watching with interest! DS 3.11 the same- been up since 5.15am this morning! Won't settle in our bed, wide awake, so no way he'll go back to sleep. Although doesn't happen every morning. I don't know whether it's his bladder waking him up? Sometime when he wakes really early he goes straight for a pee.

Goes to sleep between 7.15 and 7.45pm

All ideas welcome!

[MissyMoo321]

My 4.3 year old has started waking up at 5, he gets in my bed and I put on the TV while I dose