Thought the novelty of sharing a room may have worn off a bit by now, but bedtimes are a nightmare!

[Pinkchampagne]

Since having to share a bedroom, my boys seem to think bedtime is party time, and it is really starting to wear me down.

I try to put DS2 up half an hour before DS1, but that doesn't seem to help. He either stays awake, or he is woken by DS1.

The boys go up at 7 & 7.30pm & 2 hours later they are still jumping about upstairs.

I have just been up to try to quiten down DS2, to find he has pulled out the contents of his bottom drawer, and he was out of bed.
This kind of thing is happening frequently, although I didn't have major bedtime problems when they used to have their own rooms.

I can't threaten to separate them as I only have a two bedroom house & they would see sleeping in my bed as a treat.

I really don't know what to do. I am getting pretty desperate now!

My problem is that my room is the only room I can send one of them to. I sent DS2 up around 45 mins before DS1 tonight & warned them both that it was one warning only before DS1 (was DS2 last night, but thought it may get to DS1 more) will be removed & put into my bed where he will stay until I go up to bed. Not ideal, but only way I can separate them.

They (or at least one of them) are still awake because I can hear movement up there, but they are loads calmer tonight & I haven't had to get cross with them.

I was thinking of starting a bedtime chart which can go up in their room as well.

hoorah, sounds like it is an improvement then!

no fun being in mummy's bed when she ISN'T there (I agree being taken in there when she is, is a result rather than a boring punishment)

stick with it - they are creatures of habit, once they understand and crack it, you should be OK

just a sec - if you can hear movement, why don't you go up and give them the warning?

don't have to be heavy about it - go in, kiss them goodnight again, say "right, that is your warning, I'm coming up in 10 mins and if you aren't asleep ds1 will have to go to sleep in my bed and I'll bring him back up later"

they'll be asleep in 10 mins

It was just the movement of one of them rustling about a bit, maybe looking at something, but not anything major like the previous nights.

The night before it was the movement of them running around that I could hear, so I think I was just so grateful that all seemed so much calmer tonight!

Repeated again tonight, and again bedtime was loads calmer! Fingers crossed it continues!

Thank you for all the advice.

oh good! fantastic. really pleased for you!

hurrah!