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Behaviour/development

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Nightmare bedtimes with 9 year old

11 replies

mrsjaja · 02/03/2011 11:17

My 9 year old DD has never been the best at going to bed. Up until her birthday i used to have to say upstairs (not in her room) until she fell asleep. Then she decided that she could go to sleep without one of us being up there, and this has worked well for thelast 3 months. But over the last 3 weeks she has been an absolute nightmare. Shouting, screaming, running up and down stairs, saying she hates me, that im evil and a liar, laughing in my face when i say what the punishment for her behaviour will be. She gets in such a rage (almost like a toddler paddy) and says such awful things, in a foul tone, that last night i smacked her on the bottom. She sat nose to nose with me and said go on make me!!!! make me go to sleep!!!! i ended up in floods of tears, my dh ended up yelling at her too, but she never fell asleep until 11 o'clock. I forced her to have a cuddle and she was just sobbing her heart out saying she didnt know why she was like this. I dont know what to do - im dreading bedtime tonight. ANy ideas???

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littlemisslost · 02/03/2011 11:21

Hi my dd is 7 and we have similar problems but recently I sat down with her and we wrote out bedtime rules 'together'. Also just before she goes to bed we have a snack time so we don't get the 'Im hungry' and at 7pm I give her four drops of Bachs Night Time drops on her tongue, I have to say it all seems to be working!?

kreecherlivesupstairs · 02/03/2011 11:32

She sounds very tired to me. Our DD is nearly 10, but still goes up to bed at 7.30 and reads for 30 minutes.
She doesn't have any source of light in her room at all or she would never go to sleep.
She is a girl who really needs a lot of it or she is horrible the next day.
IIWY, I would do what littlemiss did, construct some rules which include an incentive. Go to bed all week nicely and at the weekend we'll go to the cinema or hire a dvd or something.

mrsjaja · 02/03/2011 13:13

Have never heard of Bachs Night Time drops???? Where can i buy it?? She does look absolutely exhausted (i rang the school this morning to warn her teacher, as when she is tired she is really touchy and grouchy, and the slightest thing makes her cry). She isnt going for her swimming lesson tonight, or her baton twirling class tomorrow as punishment for last night, and this will really make her mad when she realises we're not going to back down. Have also said she has to be in bed by 7, so i guess i'll just have to wait and see.

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mrsjaja · 03/03/2011 09:55

Have found the drops. They will be here today. Cant wait to try this out. Last night it was 9 o'clock - after two stories and i sang lullabies for over 30 minutes!!!!! But much less stressful.

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littlemisslost · 03/03/2011 20:08

I hope it works for you let me know how you get on after a few days

mrsjaja · 04/03/2011 11:37

It didnt work last night - 9.45 before she was asleep.

How soon before bed do you give the drops????

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ZZZenAgain · 04/03/2011 11:38

sounds hard

What time is she going to bed atm?

containher · 04/03/2011 16:25

This sound familiar to me as I was like this as a child- I used to be vile to my poor mum- told her how i couldn't possibly be her daughter as she was soooo EVIL! ( all she was trying to do was get me to go to bed). Your daughter is probably so scared of herself and her own emotions and really doesn't have a clue why she is like this.

For me, the best thing ( and the worst) was when my mum went out and let my dad put me to bed- I hated it when he put me to bed as he wouldnt give me any lee way. but it was a lot less stressful for all, as he would just repeat BED to me over and over and i would stand there threatening to do all sorts of things ( smash my room up, pull my hair out etc etc) and he would just repeat BED to me... not having an audience and thinking my dad really didn't care made me feel a bit ridiculous and there was no point to my shenanigans, so i didn't bother. ( he actually did care and love me, but was just smart enough and not so emotional to allow things to escalate)

My mum would allow me to get involved into conversation and would answer me back when I started making threats, or slamming doors or cover the mirror with toothpaste?!!!

I now know, that the fact I was so out of control of my emotions ( for no particular reason- i had a very loving and firm and fair upbringing)was made worse by me KNOWING that I could get some reaction out of my mum- ANY attention for me was better than none at all and although i hated it, i loved it! I also knew that ultimately I held a lot of power over my mum and would really tug at the heart strings.

I think it might be worth you trying to expain to DD that when you put her to bed, if she chooses to come down and behave badly, then you are not interested- and from the point of putting her to bed- try to ignore and swallow back any retorts/threats/pleading As she goes wailing around the house like a banshee- as long as she and any other children are safe- let her get on with it- for as long as it takes- she can't stay in heightened anger and upset ALL night- ( maybe a few hours) eventually she might realise what a twit she is being ( i did, and felt ashamed and awful) and go to sleep and maybe go to sleep with no cuddles!!!

Discussions about what has happened should happen in the morning, she can talk about her fears and anxieties in the morning, punishments and consequences can be issued in the morning. Expainations of what you expect of her can happen pre- bedtime. But NOT after you have come down stairs. Although it may seem strange- negative attention for a child like this is certainly better than none- it sounds like she had had a good amount of control over to you- for a 9 year old to dictate where you should be when she goes to sleep is not right- and for some children having control is too overwhelming and thats when it all goes wrong.

Good luck! I hope maybe some of this info helps. How does your husband handle it?

Nanny0gg · 04/03/2011 19:45

Two options - she does what she's told and this happens (something pleasant, stars building up to a reward, she can stay up later on Saturday)
or
she doesn't do what she's told and that happens (removal of priviledge/game/TV time etc)

She's nine, not a toddler. She does what she is told or there is a consequence.

mrsjaja · 05/03/2011 13:43

She has missed out on activities this week as a consequence, but tooker he to docs yesterday - follow up for some blood tests as she is having "cyclical" headaches/stomach aches (ie every 4 weeks Shock) doc mentioned she sounded a bit croaky, and on checking she has a mega throat and ear infection - didnt tell me it was hurting because she didnt want to be kept off school - what a crap mum am I??? How did i not spot the signs????

Anyway - in bed fast asleep by 9 last night, having watched a dvd with DH.....and not a single cross word!!!!!!

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NannyTreeSally · 05/03/2011 14:56

From my experience as a behavioural specialist nanny, the best way to approach this problem with your 9yr old is to be firm with the boundaries and expectations surrounding bedtime. Have the same routine every night; maybe bath, cuddles/quiet-time, story in bed, then sleep (with self soothing, i.e. without you needing to be upstairs or singing lullabies for half an hour).

I would also suggest that you sit down with your daughter to discuss the bedtime routine. Also, discuss the punishment for naughty behaviour so that the boundaries and expectations are very clear for her.

Make sure that you follow your agreed routine every night for the foreseeable future and be firm. As ?containher? said, if problems arise and she comes out of her room simply take her back and repeat the word BED. If she is making noise or disruptive behaviour whilst in her room, ignore her completely.

It may take weeks, it may take months but after a while she will realise that her behaviour will not get any attention (or delay her bedtime) and she will go to bed without any problems.

Sleep is so very important for children; it really is in their best interests to get a good night?s sleep but unfortunately they don?t always know what is best for them!

I come across these problems allot, but it?s easy to change. You just need to be firm with her.
Good luck :)

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