I know this is very much frowned upon...

[BattyKoda]

...and I have never considered it before now, however I'm at the end of my tether.

DS1 (4yo) has been waking at 5.30/6am at the moment. He's unbearable as he is so tied throughout the day. He also won't have a nap to make up. The odd days he will sleep until 7.30. This is a bad enough problem as it is. We've tried everything, clocks, reward charts, etc etc. I'm just hoping it's a phase. My biggest problem with it is that once awake he goes into DS2's (15mo) room and wakes him. DS is horrible when tired. He usually will slepp until 7.30/8am if not disturbed. It's causing havoc with his naps - I think he's trying to drop one but can't when woken this early.

So he it is - my final solution - Do I 'lock' DS1 in his room? He's right next door to us so can hear everything, and I would explain to him so he wouldn't freak out (I don't think he would). I think if he realises there is now one to play with he might just get back into to bed, or at worst playu in his room, not disturbing DS2

Is this A Really Bad Idea?

typos - Am typing quickly

cant you put a stairgate on so he cant get out rather than locking the door?

I think I personally would get up at that time for a day or two and TELL him he is not allowed to go into DS2's room, it's probably a better solution than locking him in. I know the idea of being up so early is not appealing though.

I am just going by the fact at 4 he should be able to understand that he is not allowed to do something (my DD has SN so I have no clue what 4 year olds understand though, tbh)

Have you told him not to go into ds2 - what did he say?

Just a thought. When my dc woke early (a few years ago) I put up a blackout blind, and put a towel against the outside of his bedroom door, and made sure that absolutely NO light could be seen. When there was sunshine outside, his room was pitch black! It worked, in that he wasn't woken by the sun.

I would also second the suggestion by Fanjo, that he needs to be told to leave his brother alone!

Disenchanted - he can open the starigate on DS2's room, which we lock at night to try to prevent him from getting in.

FanjoForTheMammaries and Plumm - He's been told, countless times So now he sneaks in without waking us. He say's he won't do it again, but then does. Really don't know what to do.

Well, I am mean, but I would set my alarm once or twice, be up before then, wait for him, and give him a real telling off!! (I can be scary)

or introduce consequences for sneaking in?

He has a blackout blind twoisplenty

Put a latch at the top of the little one's bedroom door?

But is his room BLACK? If there is just a little light getting in, then it's game over. He will wake up. It needs to be pitch. Sorry if you already do this. Only trying to help.

Think it's worth trying Fanjo's idea. Would you really lock ds in? What if there's a fire?

FanjoForTheMammaries - I suppose I could. But it will be sods law the alarm would wake him before he wakes naturally, (like it does on the odd occassion that DP works early) and he'd come into us first to see what was going on.

I take it the 'locking' the door solution is no good then?

Could you move ds2 without telling ds1? So ds1 goes into ds2's room one morning and he isn't there?

Scratch that, ds1 would probably just go looking for him...

Two things occur to me.
First, wouldn't he just hammer on the door and yell if he's already not doing as asked and waking his brother?
Second, if you do decide to lock his door, use a hook and eye. he wont be able to open it, you can go through it like a dose of salts if you need to. Definitely not lock with a key or bolt.

I thought if I lock it (somehow, there isn't a lock) when we go to bed, after a couple of mornings it might break the habit?

We have hook & eyes on various doors to keep the cats out (the doors don't seem to shut properly) and they work well.

Put one high up on his door, with him watching, show him how it works, that he can't open it himself, etc.

Then say he has a chance, if he goes into his brother tomorrow, you will use the hook and eye for the next night.
Then another chance, etc.

He will prob hate being shut in (but not in a dangerous way) that it might work. Won't keep him asleep - or you prob with him shouting about it, lol - but he may learn that you mean it about not waking his brother.

Also, does he have 'stuff' in his room to keep him occupied? DS1 (4) has some duplo bricks that are only upstairs and he plays with them nearly every morning, might also help.

Does CBeebies start at 6am?

Edam - or he would start screaming that DS2 had been abducted by aliens (running theme at the moment)!

Goblinchild - I don't think he would if I explain to him that it will be locked. He tries to be sneaky, and making alot of noise wouldn't be sneaky.

Then explain to him what's happening and why, and give it a go.
Be firm, it might take a week or so!

I managed to break the habit with my 4yr old DS by keeping our door open (so I wake up when he gets up), and if he wakes up early, get out and intercept him and be cross with him and put him back to bed. After 3 days he stopped doing it.

There is also a clock which changes colour every hour, and you could tell him he is not allowed to get up until it is "blue" or "pink" or whatever (say 7 o clock)

Also, I have had to learn to relax a bit a bit about things in general , and for the kids to have a really good run around outside every afternoon so they are properly tired helps too!

goldenticket

Oh and we tried a variety of kid-clocks, nothing worked.

Then I realised he knew some digital numbers (specifically 6 when we started this), so got him a digital clock, lighted up numbers type. He could only get up/come into us/etc. at 6.

We have managed to move that to 7 now - not foolproof, but waaay better than before

What if he needs to toilet??