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Original poster

DD will not stay in bed!!

5 replies

MmeButterfly · 01/09/2011 22:11

Hi all, my DD of 17 months has just tonight learned that she can get out of bed on her own in the evening as well as in the morning (which is fine by me!). We're having a nightmare because as soon as we calmly put her back to bed whilst not speaking to her she's getting straight back out and up again. We've been doing this now since 7pm. I can't help thinking this is going to go on long into the night too. Is there anything else I can do? Me and my DH are alternating putting her back to bed and I'm wondering if this is reigniting the 'fun' factor for her but i'm getting really tired and hacked off so need a break as does DH after ten odd times of this. Please help!!

OP posts:
Woozlemum · 02/09/2011 15:19

I know it seems like it will never end, but you just have to keep doing it, not talking to her and the fun aspect of it will soon disappear for her. It make take a few nights or even a week or so, but when she realises that you both mean business (and it's great that your DH is supporting you with the technique).

Dont give in or it will just make it harder.

My DSS used to keep getting into his Mum's bed in the night and she let it carry on for quite a while, making it difficult if he stayed with us or when we stayed at other people's houses. Worse still when she would be out and DH was babysitting and DSS would get up in the night go to Mummy's room and her not be there and he would get even more upset. Took her a while to realise that the longer she left it the harder it would be when she wanted a good nights sleep!

He is doing pretty well these days with staying in bed, even now with sleeping through the night being dry (using pads under the sheet and sleeping in pants) and is OK with getting up and going to the loo in the night and not coming in to us. He is 3 going on 4 so doing really well.

As with a lot of things you just need to persevere!

Best of luck!

jmjam · 02/09/2011 20:37

DS2 went into a bed at about 20 months and we had over 2 months of him getting out of bed after bedtime. I'd do the whole supernanny thing, 1st time putting back saying it's night time darling, 2nd time just saying it's night time and all subsequent times just walking him back to bed not saying anything. It would only be about 5 returns a night but he'd be laughing and it was going on for weeks and weeks. Anyway one night DS1 was at his nans for the week and DH was at the pub and I'd had enough, so I left him to cry at the top of the stairs. I must add he wouldn't nap in the day anymore and hence was very tired come bedtime. He lasted 10 mins and then fell asleep on the landing floor, I moved him back to his bed. The next night, DS2 still away and DH out again. DS2 got out of bed again and I heard him at the top of the stairs. Them I heard him patter back to bed and he's not got out at bedtime again since. I tied this all in with a sticker chart, where he gets a sticker on his chart in the morning if he stays in bed at bedtime. My boys love stickers!
Xxx

Woozlemum · 03/09/2011 00:02

Stickers/reward charts are a great incentive - DSS was getting stickers on his chart at home for staying in his bed all night. He is very good, just trying to encourage him to stay in longer in the mornings rather than the crack of dawn! Hopefully now the mornings will be getting darker so he might stay in bed longer!

Pishwife · 03/09/2011 00:07

Getting children to not ping straight out of bed is haaaaard.

During DC1's bed pinging phase I was lamenting this to a child protection officer colleague - she said that at that stage she secured her son to the bed with a long belt over the top of the duvet to discourage him from getting out!!! (She retired 4 years ago).

You just have to keep on doing it patiently and without deviation until they get the message. Try not to have anything planned for a few evenings and swap with your partner as much as you can.

Original poster
MmeButterfly · 03/09/2011 18:58

Hi all, thanks for the support! In the end (gone midnight) i put her to bed in her cot which is thankfully still in her room and she just went straight to sleep! She's pointed to her cot every night since then to sleep in and so I suppose its just a regression. But Jmjam and Woozle - She loves stickers too so when she's happy to return to the big girl bed i'll definitely start doing the reward chart.
Fingers crossed for then but seriously, it was probably the hardest night we've had and we've had some humdingers!!

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