Gro-clocks...worth it?

[Peanutbutternutter419]

So my 2.10yr old ds has gotten into the habit of creeping into our bed when he wakes anywhere between 3am and 5am and I really want to nip this in the bud as I am 20 weeks pg with dc2 and do t want this to remain a habit when they join us.

I have looked at the gro-clocks and am undecided whether to get one of not. So please let me know your experiences and whether this seems a good age to 'get' it? TIA

I think it's a bit expensive for something that won't work without effort from you.

I just said "still sleepy time", took dc by the hand and led them back to bed. Did this perhaps four times the first night and then once then hardly ever. No fuss, no talking, just very boring but gentle approach. At age four or five I put a normal clock in the room and explained that if the first number was a 5 or less it wasn't morning.

They don't work with every child, but when they do work, gro-clocks can be amazing. I forget precisely when we got DD's, think it was in between turning two and taking the sides of the cot at two and a half. Sides have been off for a couple of months now and she never wakes me until the sun comes up on the clock unless she's pooed (and it took a few weeks of telling her she could do that before she'd wake me for a change). She doesn't even get out of bed to play if she wakes up before the sun. Just gets out, gets a book and her drink, and gets back into bed. Yes, there was a bit of effort in the beginning, had to explain a fair few times over the first days that no sun meant not time to get up, but now she's grasped it it's wonderful. The gro-clock has been a sanity saver in my house.

It worked for DD but as PP has said you still have to put in the groundwork, it's not a magic fix.

DD was 2.6 when we got the clock and waking at 5.45 every day. We had to set it at 5.40 for a while to ensure success and make sure she understood the concept. Then we moved it back by 5 mins every few days. Rapid return if she was up before the sun; lots of praise and a smartie when she waited. Had to have had three successful days in a row before we moved to a later time.

Took about a month to get to 6.15 - she's just turned 3 and now naturally sleeps til about 6.40. Clock is set for 6.30 still

I saw where someone had made their own by colouring in a cheap plain kitchen clock like a pie chart iykwim.

My DD used to just wake up and press the buttons until the sun appeared then bounce into our bedroom and announce it was morning time for everyone.

It works for my dd. I'd say your ds is about the right age. Might be down to personality though. Dd quite likes a rule to follow (we added a bribe for following it too) and hasn't thought to try and switch it off etc. I'm not sure it'd work for my ds when he's older.

My DD is 2.7 and doesn't really work for her - she understands the concept but unfortunately it only took 3 days before she discovered that by pressing the buttons she could get the sun to "open" and make it morning any time she liked...

Worked well for us with DS at around that age. He didn't actually sleep any more hours after we got it, but it helped us to shift his sleep so that it was until 6.30am instead of 5.30am.

At 6yo now, we still use it, and he sleeps until 7am now.

There is a way that you can lock the buttons so that it's harder from them to trick it.

Think it depends on the personality of the child tbh.

Ds1 has always been a child that likes to push the boundaries so it did not work for him - he ignored it, fiddled with it till the sun came up etc. Pretty pointless purchase really!

Ds2, otoh, is a real stickler to rules (how I produced 2 totally different children I have no idea ) and I know it would have worked like a dream with him. Unfortunately due to sharing a bedroom with DS1 and having DS1 to lead him astray, there was no point in trying!!

You know your child - if they are generally biddable then it will probably be worthwhile

If you wanted to try the fri-clock it's on Groupon at the moment.
My friend has one for her DD and it helped them with the same problem

(wry snort at the idea of DS being considered "biddable")

We got one for my DS when he was 2 and I was expecting my DD. He would wake at 5.30 EVERY morning without fail and so I was either going to have to start going to bed at 7pm or had to find a way to make him stay put until 7am! He's in charge of putting the sun to bed and he grasped the concept of not leaving his bedroom until the sum came up pretty quickly (think I only had to do my scary face a handful of times )

Re. Pushing buttons to make the sun appear, there is a way to lock the clock so it can't be tampered with. Every time you set it you push in and hold the downwards arrow until a star flashes up on the star's cheek.

I think they're brilliant but tbh it would work with any visual/ pictorial/ sound aid to tell them it's time to get up, doesn't have to be a branded glo clock (although that's what we chose). And as others have said, to begin with you need to return your dc to bed repeatedly and reiterate that they can get up when the sun comes up (set it for a reasonable time though, not 10am!) It took a few days for ds to get it but has worked like a dream ever since. We started it when he was 2.5 and he's now nearly 5 and will use it until he begins to tell the time and we can replace it with a real clock. There's also a great little bedtime book that comes with it to help explain the concept in an age appropriate way.

It's been a god send for us.
I was 35 weeks pregnant and dd1 went awol at night and started getting up at all hours. I think she was confused as it was winter and she didn't know if it was time to get up or not.
She has only ever gotten out her bed once since we got it. She knows when the sun comes up she's allowed to get up and come through to our room or the living room if we're up. She knows if she pressed the button it'll make the sun come up but she also knows that then she's breaking the clock so it's not 'real morning' and that we just fix the clock and put her back to bed.

I wouldn't be without mine for ds 2.11. Keeps her in her room till 6.45 never mind what time she wakes and she is militant with herself about it!! I think it's money well spent

Didn't work for my ds from age 3-4. He could unlock it by day 2 and all the taking back to bed never worked . He wanted to get up and that was the, no rewards worked.

YES! Revolutionised my life. DS never slept until past 5am before, and would often wake in the night. We bought it when he was 2 and he pretty much started sleeping until 7am every day. What's more, he would go back to sleep if he woke in the night and saw the Gro sun wasn't up. It was like a miracle cure for us!