How do i break habit of children getting into bed with me?

[absolutelyflawed]

My 2 DS (aged 6 and 4) have got into bad habit of getting into bed with me in the middle of the night - think is a mixture of bad habits since summer holidays, their body clocks just ewaking them up, plus youngest starting school. i am too comatosed in the night to get up and move them back, and if i do, they seem to come back in with me a bit later. There is not enough room and (im a lone parent) im exhausted..please help..!

Watching with interest as DD1 has developed a similar habit. I threaten to take toys away unless she stays in her room all night, but don't really want to keep doing that in case she really does need us in the night.

Keep taking them back every time no matter how hard it is for you to drag yourself out of bed.

That's what i did with my DS when he developed the habit and within a couple of weeks we'd got it sorted.

Just need to work on him not waking me up at 7am on Sundays now

I'd second the taking them back. Just don't say anything, take their hand and put them back in their own bed and give them a kiss and go back to your bed. Repeat as needed even if it takes a hundred times in a row !!

the only way is to take them back to bed. DS1 got into this habit to the extent that DH would get up and sleep in DS1's bed. The only way was to take him back to bed and explain that he needed to stay there.

DS2 got into bed with us last night, so I think we are in for another bout!

Bribery if they stay in their own beds all night? If they stay in their own beds all week, maybe a special treat/outing on Saturday?

I would start with the six year old. Firstly, how is his room, is he really pleased with it or is there something he would like different which you could relatively easily do?

I think that it is important that he has a room he feels really at home in. Then I would invest in a portable CD player which he can put next to his bed and which he can easily use and get him an audio CD with stories which are not too exciting and which he enjoys. Also get him a night light if he doesn't have one.

I would explain that he is a really big boy now and big boys sleep in their own room, the whole night. For every night he stays the whole night in his room he will get a star, seven stars and he gets a treat (could be a present, could be an activity together). When he has stayed a whole night in his room make a fuss of him and tell him how proud you are, lots of praise (he will want to please you).

Also, explain that if he wakes up during the night he is allowed to switch his CD on (but not too hard). This will hopefully help him fall asleep quickly as he will quickly know the CD inside out.

This worked for us, hopefully it also works for you.