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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

HOW DID YOU DO IT??

26 replies

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:03

Hi, we have taken cot sides off ds cot as he was trying to tip it over.
He is 2.4
At the moment we have a stair gate on his door as he would just run around everywhere upstairs when put to bed. I packed all toys away as he has loads. He has only a few teddy bears and his bed!
For the past 4 nights he has fallen asleep on the floor.

Mostly he just wanders around in his room and opens and shuts his door. Should I be putting him directly into bed when he leaves it, or leave him to drop off like I have been doing.

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:07

Maybe noone else has done this then lol!

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julia5 · 30/04/2007 19:12

Aw mum41 its tricky. I would just say night-night and leave him to it. Depends on how hard-core you want to be. TBH as long as he's staying in his bedroom (you've sorted that by stairgate) you're more than half way there.

Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:14

Thanks. It is so hard to know what to do for the best. To start with I tried to put him back to bed each time he left it but he just saw it as a game and laughed at me.
He almost fell asleep at the dinner table tonight as he didn't drop off until 10pm last night and he is still awake now despite being so tired!

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cheekymonk · 30/04/2007 19:15

Hi there,
Well my ds fell out of cot at 18 mths and HV advised me to convert to bed with bedguard. I did this but basically had to "train"ds to stay in bed. Dh and I took it in turns to stand near door each night as he ran out every 10 seconds. It took an hour and a half each night for about a week!!!!! (I know- nearly went out of my mind) but now it is not a battle at all and he climbs up the stairs himself to go to bed. We have a routine and I think all of that combined helped.
We have since moved house and I too have a stair gate on his room. Sometimes when I put him to bed I can hear him wondering round or he might even sing or talk to himself but he always settles himself very quickly in the end.
I think leaving him to drop off should be fine...

julia5 · 30/04/2007 19:18

You are exactly right, it will be a game for him, all that lovely attention. So take deep breath and go for it if you want. I will be online later if you need distracting from sounds of activity after bed-time !

Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:18

Hi cheekymonk. I did try for first 2 nights to keep taking ds back to bed each time he left it, but he saw this as a game and it drove me bonkers. I couldn't take it!

He is upstairs now crying as he is soooo tired! I know he will eventually go to sleep, probably on the floor.

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:20

This is the thing julia5, do I give him the attention? Or do I ignore him? He is crying less now.

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:21

GGGRRR!He is now opening and closing door to get my attention. He also has an airing cupboard door in his room which he is opening. Will have to stop this!

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Mum2FunkyDude · 30/04/2007 19:30

Can't you bribe him? i.e Promise him a nice trip to the park to play a favourite game in the morning etc. only if he gets in bed and stays there?

Just a thought, I'm not quite there yet, ds only 17 months.

Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:33

I have just given him a cup of milk and he is now asleep! He was over tired.
Can watch corrie in peace now!

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:34

I will try the park bribe. Trouble is he would want to put his shoes on and go now lol!

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julia5 · 30/04/2007 19:51

Now go pour yourself a large glass of wine, you've done very well. x

Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 19:55

Thankyou! lol. It can seem so irritating when he just wont sleep when you can plainly see he is so bloomin tired and if he was in the cot he would have gone to sleep straight away. It reminds me of having a newborn again!

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NoNickname · 30/04/2007 20:01

I had this at nap time with ds (then aged about 2.2) - we didn't have it at bed time as he was still in a Grobag and just couldn't seem bothered to try walking about.

It was absolutely infuriating - and you have my sympathy - but it is a phase that will pass. I used to take him back to bed and do a stern (but not shouty), "It's time for a sleep" and put him back in. He would always get up again, and I had to muster all my composure and just carry on. Each time I did it I would say less, and not look at him.

I don't think it worked very quickly. He knew that it was nap time - and he was tired - but he wanted me coming back upstairs all the time - and he got it! The more agitated by it I was, the worse he was. When I ignored it, he just fell asleep on the floor and it didn't do him any harm! Eventually he learned that he should be sleeping in his bed, but it was a long process (sorry!)

cat64 · 30/04/2007 20:02

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 20:06

Nonickname, I agree that they do all this to get attention.
I just find the more that I go upstairs to put him to bed, the more I get angry or upset, and the more he laughs and listens out for me! I think for my own sanity it is best to ignore him!
I wonder if I set up his 'big bed' if he would be more likely to stay in it? (kidding myself!)
Also wondered whether to try those glow in dark things for the ceiling or a new lamp or something to distract him.

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 20:08

Cat64, lol! I have just borrowed supernanny book from the library and saw section on 'staying in bed technique'. It didn't actually say how many times or how long to try it for!

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TheodoresMummy · 30/04/2007 20:14

My DS did this, fell sleep on the floor for a few weeks after transfering to bed (aged 2).

Eventually the novelty wore off and he started staying in bed.

He was a bit knackered for a while, but it sorted itself out.

Is he getting upset at you leaving him or at you putting him back into the bed ?

The pictures on the ceiling might help. Esp if he now needs distracting for you to be able to leave.

Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 20:22

He has always slept very well in his cot, he slept through the night from 6 weeks and when he has gone to sleep he won't wake til morning. We have been lucky that way.
He doesn't mind being left, he says night and waves when you leave the room! I think it is just a novelty for him, knowing that he can get up and walk about. I also think he is just really tired as he sometimes has day time naps in his cot and he hasn't been having that either.
Am searching ebay for ideas on ceiling stars!

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cat64 · 30/04/2007 20:40

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 30/04/2007 20:44

Maybe I can try that tomorrow night Cat64.
Just got to stay calm!

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Mum2FunkyDude · 01/05/2007 07:01

Will be waiting in anticipation to see what worked at the end, as I'm sure I will have the same struggle soon!

Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 01/05/2007 11:24

Will keep you informed!

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Original poster

mumfor1standfinaltime · 01/05/2007 20:17

Tonight, so far, ds hasn't tried to come out of his room. He seems more chilled out as well, maybe because I am!
Have decided to leave him to it as he is laying on the floor in his room.

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adath · 01/05/2007 20:21

DD used to do this and TBH I just tended to leave her to it if she was happy. If she got upset I would go up and tuck her in again. It never lasted long though and after the novelty of being able to get out of bed wore off she stayed in bed. She had her books there if she wanted them and she eventually just looked at them for a bit and went to sleep. I did try putting her back a few times but it just became a game to her and she would run shrieking with laughter back to bed when she heard feet on the stairs.

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