How do I get DS to go to sodding bed!!!!!!!!!

[DetectivePotato]

DS is 2.6. We finally took the sides off his cot last week. 6 days of total good behaviour. He didn't get up once and went to sleep really well.

Since then, well its an hour and a half after bed time and he is still bouncing around his room. It completely takes up all our evening as we can't sit and watch anything or chill as he is either shouting for something or running around. He does stay in his room. We did let him take a couple of cars into his bed tonight thinking he would stay there and play with them and he gets up to get them anyway, but that hasn't worked.

I'm fed up of it taking hours to put my DS to bed. Its doing my fucking nut it and even though he will go to sleep about 2 hours after his normal bedtime, he will still be up at the crack of dawn.

We used to shut his door as a 'threat' he doesn't like it and he would soon settle when we opened the door after. We have just done this and he wasn't remotely bothered.

He is due to stay at my nans soon as a trial so we can have a night away soon but if he is going to be doing this we are going to have to take him on our night away which is going to be a total nightmare.

Any suggestions, hints or tips?

I will watch this with interest, DS is 2.1 and we are wondering when to take the plunge.

What happens if you just leave him to it? Will he conk out eventually?

Rapid return.

Just take him back to bed. No eye contact, no conversation, just gently back to bed. Over and over, if necessary.

I actually gave up with DD, and let her come down stairs and fall asleep with us on the sofa. She does now go to bed nicely, though.

I guess he will behave better with your nan, or at least your nan will have more patience with him, as it's just one night. So don't cancel or night away yet!

Well only my DD is in a bed so far. However here's what I did FWIW. I used to remove all toys from the room or things she could play with, make sure I had a decent black out blind as I figured if she can't see, she can't play. Always did the same bedtime rountine. Jigged her day time nap a little so I knew she was tired and tried to make a fuss of her with stories and cuddles first and then finally pop her into bed. No later than 7.30pm.

Then if she got out of bed, I'd go in say it was "sleepy time" and put her back into bed. If she got up again, I'd say nothing and lie her back down and then repeat as necessary in a bored fashion without talking to her or eye contact, as I felt it was a game and didn't want to encourage it.

I suppose the correct thing to do is a star chart for it and perhaps a list of rules they need to follow to get the star the following morning?

However my method did work but all children are different.

I would put him in bed and stand by his bed with your back to him and keep putting him back in bed every time he gets out. No talking, don't be rough and stay there till he gives up and stays in bed.
He's had a week of enjoying the novelty and thats got to stop now. Its bed time not play time.
Good luck.

If we leave him, I don't know how long he would play for. We have done that this evening and it got to an hour when we thought enough is enough. 40 minutes later, I think he is finally settling. It usually takes (me) being tough and getting really firm with him, on the verge of shouty mum which I really hate. He gets upset then goes to sleep.

I think rapid return will probably work. Just dread to think how many times its going to take. I wouldn't give in though. You think DS would have learnt this by now, but no!!!

Can't cancel the night away either. Its to see my brother pass out of the Army so if DS doesn't settle at my nans (and I'm so hoping he will) he just has to come which is going to be a real nightmare all round.

Please have your night away with out him. Its only one night your nan will cope.

second rapid return, or your version of it.

Key is no eye contact, nothing interesting. Just lift, and back in bed. Say something like 'bed time now' for the first 2 times if you wnat.

Don't leave him, knock it on the head now.

General consensus then. Along the lines of what I was thinking. He's quiet now, finally! Tonight has been the worse night and I am not keen for this to go on. Like bumbums said it is bed time not play time. Don't think I am going to let him play for a bit now. I know some of my friends do but I was against that from the beginning but thought I would see what would happen. Unfortunately what I was afraid would happen and he wouldn't want to settle at all.