getting stressed out with ds 2.4 every night because he wont go to sleep...

[juicychops]

he gets straight out of his bed and starts moaning saying he wants to go down stairs then he starts throwing things over his door gate. i get so stressed i end up shouting at him most nights and i hate him going to sleep with me shouting being the last thing he hears.

when my dp is round he puts ds to bed and he goes straight to sleep without a word. its only me he messes around and its driving me crazy. i dont know what to do different or what im doing wrong

Bribe with a story or nursery rhyme CD, after a nice cuddle and story together.

If not, I think ignoring him might work. If he can't get out of his room and you don't go up and down the stairs pandering to him he will think "this is boring" and go back to bed. Maybe?

Stressful though when you want your evening to be relaxing.

My ds is 2.6 and does this too. It is very annoying but I just ignore him and he's started doing it for shorter time periods now and taking himself off to his bed when he gets bored.

juicy - it's rubbish isn't it when they do one thing for you and another for your dp?

I have a lock on my son's door - not as hideous as it sounds - it's a hook and eye thing and the door is locked open about 5/6 inches.
This means that if bedtime goes wrong I can leave him for a little while safe in the knowledge that he can't escape or do himself harm

I rarely have to leave him but probably resort to "settle down and sleep now or mummy will leave you for a while" about once a month

Maybe a tad unorthodox but I find it works

xx

The main problem is because his room is directly at the top of the stairs, everything he throws goes down the stairs. His drink, teddies, and toys that can break or that are just loud. i ignore it to the point he starts tyhrowing stuff down the stairs then i have to march up, send him to pick everything back up, then take his favourite toy away until he is back in bed.

I do all the nice reading and cuddles and kisses and even nice talk about being a good boy and staying in his bed and going to sleep. He says 'good night mummy' then as soon as that door is shut he's up and a devil child. Its driving me crazy now

Could you put a safety gate on his door to keep him in?

IMO, I'm afraid its a case of ignoring them until they get the message.

I'm evil and have held the door shut whilst they tantrum on the other side. Am not proud of it, but it worked!

ive done that too foxybrown when hes got so bad. he has a safety gate on his door, but because the stairs are imediately outside his door everything goes straight down them.