My kids won't go to bed!

[Maybemable]

We have 3 kids aged 11,10 and 6. For some reason in the last 4 weeks discipline over bedtime has just disappeared and everyone is still monkeying around at 9.30 at night or later. We do have bedtime routines - everyone in bed by 8.00. The two boys share and just refuse to settle. I'm about to start working for myself including needing to work evenings and I don't know how I'm going to cope with the chaos. It's like something out of supernanny. Nothing seems to work - shouting, threats, it's water off a duck's back. The light evenings don't help. Any advice gratefully received.

[JustAOneOffToday]

I have a 3 and 6 yr old. The 6 yr old is very good. At bedtime but 3 yr old is terrible! He wasn't always like his so I wonder if it's just a stage.

I start bedtime routine win a bath at 6:30pm and try to walk away an hour later (after teeth, toilet, stories, cuddles) but I have to hear him yelling and cry for me or trying to run downstairs, for two hours until he finally crashes out at 9:30. It is exhausting!

I've begun to tell him off for making a noise (just yelling "mummmmmmmy" at the top of his voice. I've even given a light punishment to make my point. That seems to work unfortunately. I'd much prefer to have peace and harmony at bedtime but it seems not destined to be the case for the moment. You'd think the 3yr old would learn from the 6 year old but oh no! That would be too easy!

In my case the preschool have said they think he's so busy that he's likely too wired and tired to sleep at bed time. So I try to limit activities before bed in an effort to wind down. Not sure it's really helping though.

Begin more strict has helped a bit but it's still a daily struggle.

[iKnackered]

We went through this with DD (then 10) and DS (age 5).
I resorted to their currency...money!
I left 5x10p in DDs room, every time I and to go up and remind her to be quiet, or every time she called out, I took a 10p away. Whatever was left over in the morning she got to keep whatever was left. Needless to say, she earnt nothing for the first 3 nights.
DS got the same, but he got 5x2p. He cottoned on quicker and kept more of the money each night.

[JustAOneOffToday]

Do you still pay them 50p a night to sleep?

[dementedpixie]

Try staggering bedtimes. My 9 year old has bedtime at 9pm weeknights and 9.30pm at weekends. Dd is 12 and her bedtimes are 9.30/10pm respectively

[iKnackered]

No, once we cracked the sleep, there's always something new they can do to earn pocket money.

[queenofthepirates]

My DD is 5yo and perhaps not terribly money savvy (yet). She gets 1 (European) cent for every night she goes to bed 'nicely' which she can spend on holiday. Haven't the heart to tell her that 1 cent pieces are pretty useless in Europe which is why I have a tidy collection of them. She should have about 20 cents by the time we go! I'll see if I can find a nice shopkeeper to play along with us and let her buy something for herself.