Following on from thread re 'spoiling' children is this OTT for our 4 year old

[genieg]

DS1 is 4 and has long been a v early waker and its a huge drain on us as a family as he isn't interested in toys at that time but wants to be sociable. I really think being able to put on cbeebies radio in his room and teaching him to read a digital clock will help as he's outgrowing bunny clock - he now needs to know the amount of time passing etc so shouts every 3 or 4 minutes from about 5.15. He tries his best but we often end up battling so I want to help him without leaving us exhausted (we also have a newborn DS2)

He loves being in control of things and is perfectly happy negotiating technology so switching on a preset station wouldn't be a problem. He already enjoys radio so having something he can switch on and become absorbed in may help.

He also loves story CDs and kids music CD's and so DH suggested getting him a Digital CD Clock Radio as he's going to want a CD player at some point in the not to distant future (he had an old one of ours but its now broken) and then we'd probably be left with a pricey (£45) digital clock radio we don't need. This is £90!!!!!!!!!! He has just has his birthday and I am feeling quite horrified about the amount of toys he has.

However to wait til christmas means this potential solution would still be 7 months away.

Would this be totally over the top ? Do I need a reality check ??? Am not rolling in it by the way but sleep deprivation is very hard to live with.

[jugglingwoman]

I don't know about a clock radio but I bought a cd player and radio(admittedly from Woolies) for DSS last year and it cost £15. You can probably get the same from Argos. Then you're not spending so much money on him (I actually bought DSS's one because I didn't want to move my hifi for my hen night and thought it was a good excuse)....

Oh and, anything to avoid sleep deprivation is allowed. My DSS is 7 and when we got married would get up at 6 then come in. I wasn't too pleased but just about coped. He's now (oddly through no encouragement, just DH and I not responding to quickly to him) trained himself to read or draw quietly in his room. He even closes his door so the light doesn't wake us up. It may feel like hell but it will stop. Anything to make it better and to help you get as much sleep as is possible with a newborn is definitely not over the top. As long as he doesn't get spoilt in other ways, really it's for you so it's fine!!

[Olihan]

Why don't you just get a cheapo digital clock/radio and CD player? Our dcs are also very early wakers. Ds1 (5.6yo) and DD (3.10yo) both have them in their rooms to stop them disturbing us in the morning. We tell them that they are not allowed to shout or leave their rooms for anything other than a very quiet wee until there is a 7 at the front. They know how to change the CDs and make them play and it does mean we are usually undisturbed until 7am.

We bought dd's from Argos and both items cost us less than £30.

[applepudding]

I don't think this is classed as spoiling your child because you are purchasing it with a view to getting yourself some extra sleep not because your child is stamping his feet demanding it!

Agree the points others are making that there may be a cheaper model you can go for - but if not then if you have the money I'd buy it.

[genieg]

Ooh what brands did you get Olihan? Just searched Argos and only saw the Roberts digital clock radio at about £45. Think it has to be digital to get Cbeebies. Think right now he's more likely to want to listen to this rather than choose CD's to listen too. This seems to be a problem - he wants to be entertained in the early am rather than make any decisions or proactively do anything. His favourite thing to do when he comes into us at 6ish is for us to make up stories for him (aaaaaaarrrgghh!!)

[genieg]

Thank you all for your nice comments about helping myself and not spoiling DS! I'm a bit sensitive at the moment as we bought him a very pricey birthday present and his grandparents and aunts went very over the top too (much doted on first grandchild on both sides). The result is his bedroom looks like a toyshop and he doesn't play with any of it.

[Olihan]

Ah, I'm with you now, sorry, dd's isn;t a digital radio, just an ordinary one. So I was no help at all .

[genieg]

I think we may buy it but say it is ours and ask if he would like to use it for a while. That way he isn't getting yet another thing (he would undoubtably see it as a present) and if it doesn't work we've got a nice thing for our room. We currently don't even have an alarm clock let alone a radio as been no point with our little talking alarm clock.

[Olihan]

That sounds like a plan!

[helpYOUiWILL]

i feel your pain!!! both my ds are early wakers. ds1 at the age of 2 was up at 5am. He is now nearly 6 yrs and will close his bedroom door (ith a loud bang) and will play with toys or on his ds lite.

ds2 aged 2yrs is also a 5am waker but i live in hop for the future!!

just do what ever u can to get through this time. could you sell some toys? i advertised my stuff (toys, clothes etc) at the local surestart centre and sold loads of it.

[Overmydeadbody]

Do you not have a digital radio in the house already that can go into his room every evening for him to use in the morning?

[Overmydeadbody]

If you're feeling guilty about all the toys he already has, how about sorting through it with him and selling some of it on ebay to go towards the cost of the radio clock?

[rupertsabear]

Put some of the other toys away and get them out at xmas instead of buying other presents.

[fishie]

ds is also 4 and gets up at 6am. he will play for half an hour or so but that is it, how much are you hoping for?