Gro-clock for a just turned 2 year old.

[Nibletmum]

Has anyone used one for a toddler this young? My DS has started waking ridiculously early - 4.30 this morning. He used to sleep 8-8 so it's a bit of a shock!! I'm wondering if he's a bit too young for a gro-clock though?

[juneau]

We tried a gro-clock from about age 3, but neither of my DC understood it until they were 4 or 5 years old. They need to understand the concept of time and clocks which, IME, took a while!

[OVO1410]

I bought one when my DS turned 2. He very quickly understood what the clock meant (blue star means go back to sleep and yellow sun means get up) but he wouldn't always pay attention to it. It took until he was almost 3 for him to follow the clock every day and I had to introduce a reward system to get him to do so. He's 3.5 now and wouldn't ever get up before the sun was out on his clock

[FATEdestiny]

Waking that early is likely to be to do with over tiredness. It's not really an unwanted behaviour - this suggests child could change the behaviour if he wanted to. I doubt he could, he won't be able to help the fact he wakes at this time.

Over tiredness leading to early mornings is usually solved with more productive daytime naps (changing the time or increasing the length) and/or earlier night.

Black out curtains will also help. But primarily, he probably it at needs more sleep.

[CinderellasBroom]

Yes, we had them from before 2yo with both kids. I used the book that came with the clock for dd1, but dd2 just got 'blue moon, sleep time' on a loop until 'yay! Orange sun! Getting up time!'. It took a bit of doing (and acting!) but it worked well for years.

[WeeM]

We got it for my dd when she was about 2, worked wonders. We started by setting it for 5 mins after she usually woke them gradually changed it to a reasonable time. Amazing things, def worth getting to give it a go. £20 well spent for the sake of your sanity!

[Nibletmum]

Thanks all. I'll give it a try. I'm hoping it's just a bit of a sleep regression phase as his naps haven't changed - a 2 hour nap after lunch every day and bedtime at 7.30. He'd better snap out of it pretty soon as I'm expecting DC2 in 3 weeks!!

[Ecureuil]

Yeah we used one for DD1 from about 22 months and she got it. Didn't work long though... at just over 2 she said 'it's ok I'll just press the button that turns it yellow'.
Thinking of cracking it out again for DD2 (22 months) who has started getting up at 5.30!

[SorrelSoup]

Yes, massive fan. My 2 love them. You can lock the screen or put it up high. We have always just said only grown ups can touch the clock.

[RNBrie]

We have used gro clocks with our dc from about 1 year old so they get used to the principle - then we used them as a training tool nearer two. We think they are brilliant!

You need to set them to go orange at around their natural wake up time for a while and reward reward reward so they learn that an orange clock is a good thing. Then you start setting them back by 5 mins every couple of days and continue to reward if they stay in bed till it goes orange. Takes a while but it's worth it!

[glitterglitters]

We just started to use this last night. It's a bit of a big concept for our dd (2 in a couple of weeks) but her dad explained that if she waits for the sun it's time for "breakfast". That seemed to go down ok with her so we shall see

[Orangedaisy]

Worked on ours at just turned 2. She still wakes before it but doesn't wake us up (shouting) until it wakes up.

[purplemunkey]

Our 2yr old DD has one. She likes it, we say bye bye to the sun at bedtime and she won't get out of her cot until the sun comes back up. I've popped my head in before I leave for work a few times and she's been awake but quiet, then points at the clock saying 'not daytime yet'. Works for us.

[tatohead]

Get black out blinds. I have ones that Velcro to the window from Amazon.

I've also had to cut my 2 year olds naps and she now sleeps a lot better! But she was waking every 2 hours (she's not slept through yet)