Ainu....to deny my three year old this?.

[coco35]

My 3 year old d's is a nightmare at night. Firstly putting him to bed and getting him to sleep is a problem...then he wakes several times during the night....I am exhausted and this is really getting to me..

His sis who is 5 is an angel.

So they are both at school/crèche until 2pm...I have just had a delivery of their two new tablets which they will b very excited about

So I am thinking of telling ds he can hve his when he starts staying in bed.

He is absolutely adorable but a total monkey and at this stage he knows full well what he is doing. I honestly feel like it's All a game to him. I guess what I am trying to say is the baby is well gone out of him and that's why I need to change tactics with him

What do ye think?.. A stressed out mam in need of sleep!

[RightInTheKisser]

TABLETS! Won't somebody think of the children!

Can't remember OP asking for opinions on the tablet. Nor did I read, "I can't wait to give the tablet so he can play on it in bed until midnight until his brain explodes."

I think it depends on the 3 year old if your idea will work. Some are mature enough to understand choices and consequences. Some aren't. Would he be able to play on it in the morning so he has more chance of linking it to staying in bed?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Lily - you are totally missing my point. I am not assuming that he will be given his tablet at bedtime, I am making the point that these things do disturb sleep patterns, even if they are turned off a couple of hours before bedtime.

Nothing bizzare about that concept I can assure you!

[lilyaldrin]

Can you link to that research Betty? Do tablets specifically disturb sleep more than a TV or computer?

[Beamur]

Betty my DP decided that 15 minutes before bedtime was the ideal time to introduce our DD to the playstation last night. You won't be surprised to know she was still awake a good couple of hours after bedtime! The numpty. There will not be a repeat of that tonight

[RightInTheKisser]

OP. You should have asked if you would be unreasonable to give him his new lentil weaving handbook if he stays in bed. Then you may have got replies actually about your question.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Lily - seriously - no I am not going to link it, as I said, I speak from bitter experience and I know it certainly affects the way my DS goes to sleep.

Beamur - yes, when I am out DH let's DS stay on his console longer than I would do......it rarely ends well :D

[redskyatnight]

DS was a similar bad sleeper at age 3 (and before). We were referred to a sleep clinic and the recommendation was that sleeping expectations (i.e. stay in bed all night unless ill or other good reason) should be clearly communicated. Then if the child got up, they had one chance to prove they had a good reason - otherwise they were told it was nightime and to go back to bed. (our advisor said you could take your DC back if they would stay there, our DS thought being taken back to bed was a game, so we were advised that he should take himself).

She suggested that she would use incentive reward charts for older children but 3 was probably too young unless the parents felt the individual child was amenable to it. TBH even if your child is amenable to it, at 3, are they going to consider a tablet sufficient reward? Can't imagine a 3 year old would find it that amazing?

[ParenthoodJourney]

Bribery and rewards do work - but I still wouldn't create a sibling rivalry situation where he is not been given it when his sister had. Especially as it's about bed time.

[lilyaldrin]

So basically you have nothing to back up your assertion that just using a tablet (specifically? Or any screen?) at some point in the day disturbs sleep patterns Betty. Thanks for that.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

No Lily but I do have one thing....it's called a brain and along side that I have common sense, that's all the back up I need thank you!

[lilyaldrin]

Who needs facts when you can have opinions

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Opinions and bitter experience count for a lot I think :)

[SparkleToffee]

We did that with my DS (not a tablet).,...... but he was a shocking sleeper and always had been. when he was 3 he was in love with Jessie from Toy Story. I told him if he slept every night for a month he could have a Jessie......

I was worried that he wouldnt be able to do it for 30 days and that I had promised something and then would have to change the deal so to speak. He got a sticker every night he slept and apart from one or two nights where he woke up he literally slept straight though every night!

I bought him Jessie once he had 30 stickers. we still ahev to do this occassionally now (6) - things like if you want to play the ipda with Daddy tomorrow you need to sleep all night tonight, as he just gets in the habit sometimes of waking up in the middle of the night.

YANBU as long as presumably, you arent letting him play it in bed?

[KeepNaanAndCurryOn]

My DD got a tablet when she was 3. It stopped her from wanting to play on mine all the time.

You can reward with screen time.

[2tiredtocare]

I read this as a thread about sleeping tablets for 3-5 year olds!

[Vintagecakeisstillnice]

Screen time and Sleep issues
consumer.healthday.com/health-technology-information-18/misc-computer-health-news-150/screen-time-near-bedtime-means-less-sleep-for-kids-672364.html
www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20110306/sleep-and-technology-dont-mix-sleep-poll

One of these reference a study that was published in 'Pediatrics'. I cant access that at the moment, but there appears to be some finding that indicate that screen time up to 90 minute before sleeping can affect sleep patterns and this effect while felt by all ages in stronger in those under 16.

[coco35]

Thanks for all the replies.

Reward charts hve tried them ...he doesn't give a toss about stickers.it really is a big joke to him.

No not goin to give it to him at bedtime. If I decide to give it to him of course there will be strict time limits applied.

Il hve a read of the marble jar idea....

He sometimes gets up during the night...wakes me then just says "I want you to tuck me bk in". That's when he can't think of a reason...sometimes it's I want a banana (and then not eat it!), I want a tissue for my nose, then he calls me to collect the tissue, which he didn't even need in the first place... It's a game defo....but honestly is not at all funny it's being going on since he was 7 months old in some guise or another. I used to b able to get bk to sleep within minutes but lately I can't and I'm so tense I'm almost lying there waiting for him to wake..

[skittycat]

Sometimes 'bribery' is the only way forwards for certain children...

Things along the line of 'if you stay in bed all night until the clock says _ then you can have __ for being a good boy' etc etc.

Or even staying in bed for a whole week earns a small treat on the sunday.

My sister did this with her son... he now gets a pack of football stickers each week that he behaves and stays in bed nicely. (he picked his treat)

Im not gonna tell you you are wrong to give him a tablet etc at his age, but do agree that limited screen time may be good... i only say this as my brothers are 5 and 7 and practically raised on tablets to the extreme that they throw tantrums in restaurants if they arent allowed to sit and play on them for the entire meal.

Perhaps though you could agree to an extra... I dont know... maybe 30mins on a sunday if he has been a good sleeper all week?

[Justforlaughs]

My DD got up every night and drove me mad, until we discovered that she didn't like the dark. Now we leave her light on, with a dimmer switch. I have no issue with expecting an average 3 year old to understand "if you do this, you get x", but there are certain circumstances where you need to be sure that there are no underlying causes. Sticker charts for DD didn't work, when it came to staying in bed because she was scared. Neither would a bribe of a toy she wanted have worked. What about a clock with opening eyes at a certain time? Would he stay in bed until the monkey opened it's eyes at 7 o'clock?
I really get the need for Mummy sleep btw. It's a long time since my eldest was that age - but I can remember the pain!

[coco35]

He shares a room with dd 5yrs. Santa brought them night lights thought that might help...but alas no!!!

Am looking up gro clocks now....expensive but perhaps worth a try plus marble jar....hopefully one or both might work.

So sick of it

[LimitedEditionLady]

Who cares what someone else buys their kid?not the question the op was asking.Id think its a bit harsh not to give it him at all but you could use it as a persuasive tool for other behaviour.If hes not sleeping i doubt that hes going to wake up in the middle of the night and consider his tablet might not be given to him in.the day if he doesnt sleep.

[LimitedEditionLady]

If he calls you for silly things whatll happen if you dont go into him?he knows youre coming thats why he shouts.My ds does this sometimes going to bed but we just tell him enoughs enough after two times and he understands.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Coco - I feel your pain I really do!! My DS is 11 and still he keeps me up. He won't to to sleep on his own so I lay with him till he drops off...and then 9 times out of 10 he wakes in the night. So, by the time I do get in my own bed I can't sleep because I am waiting for his to call.

We have tried it all, stories, nightlights, bath before bed, we got him fishes because he said they would help him relax and get off to sleep, we got him a cat to lay with him...you name it, we have done it. I am sick to the back teeth of it all and have no idea what the answer is and so just hope he will grow out of it . I tell him he is at secondary school now and still laying with mummy but as much as he wants to conquer it, he just can't.

[Sparklymommy]

My four children had tablets for Xmas.

They can be used to great effect to garner the behaviour that I want! They are not allowed them all the time and the threat of "you'll lose your tablet if you don't do x y or z" works wonders. My youngest is 4. She had her big sisters old one (not a new one) and the boys and dd1 had new ones that cost me approx £40 each. They are all different colours so that they are easily identifiable.

Op did not ask for comments about her present for her children, she asked if she would be unreasonable to withhold it until ds sleeps better. I think using it as an incentive may work better. Earning screen time for sleeping better.

[TokenGirl1]

Bribery works for my 3 year old. My two get a small prize (a party bag toy) the morning after sleeping in their beds all night long. It works mostly.