2yr old wont go down.keeps getting out of bed.Help quick!

[mum2oliver]

Never had probs before.Ds keeps getting out of bed as soon as I shut the door.He opens the door to come out.The first few times I say nicely Its time for bed to sleep,I then say nothing and put him straight back to his bed,he laughs and runs to is bed beofre I get to hime sometimes.Last night I could not take anymoe so put him in the travel cot!! He cried horribly but went off to sleep.He then woke at 4am screamed for an hour befoe I gave in and he came in to my bed.I was so tired.Whats the best thing to do?Is he trying it on or what?Just about to put him to bed now!

Trying it on IMO. Just say firmly, "No, you are to stay in bed" and if he doesn't, get cross. That should work.

I don't know about the night time wakings. I have 4 children and my youngest has got into quite a habit of waking and coming to my bed - I don't know why as the others never did and I have never encouraged night time wanderings. (I am like a bear with a sore head if I am woken at night). I just give him a cuddle and then put him back, again quite firmly.

Im sure its obvious but like I said Im tired but what IMO?
He has been put to bed by partner and he has come straight out of his bedroom 4 times! My dp has put him straight back again.Dp has now had enough so ds is at top of stairs crying heart out.

How about a baby-gate over his door till he nods off. OPen it oncehe's asleep, incase he needs to get up for the loo or gets frightened.

IMO = In my opinion

I'm afraid that I nipped ds doing this in the bud by holding the door closed. After saying "I need my people, why are my people locking my door, I have no people" and a bit of hitting the door, he accepted that the show was over and put himself to bed.

Next night, same thing - less time

3rd night - just stayed in bed.

You could put a stair gate on his room so he cant get out. DD also does this, as soon as she hears me comming she jumps back in her bed. By 4 am she's in my bed.

Sorry. In My Opinion.

hate it when people use acronyms that I don't understand!

Oh my goodness thanku.Will do the hold the door thing I think Have looked at getting a stair gate and dp says wont stay it will slip if he pushes it.Thanku very much Il go put him in bed now.Cheers.x

Yes agree with everyone that you just have to be firm. Something I found helpful was remembering that you are the adult and you know what is best for your son. So you know he needs x amount of sleep and that x time is the right time for bed. All ds knows is that he wants to delay bed. Stand firm by what you know is right. Tell him it i bedtime and you don't want him to get out of bed any more. Make sure he has something to cuddle if that will help. I say to my youngest "Now give XX (cuddly toy) a cuddle because he is very tired and wants to go to sleep" and this kind of givs ds a reason to stay in bed.

You get different sizes of stair gate. We had a travel, mesh style one for DS's room. It was expandible and the little houdini never managed to shift it. I couldn't work the thing so just used to chuck my leg over it to get in his room.

DT1 has tried this with me. I put her and her brother into travel cots so that they couldn't escape. They escaped!

DT2 likes his sleep though so would climb back in and sleep. DT1 liked to pop up beside me and say "'Allo Mummy. No night night". I would pick her up without saying a word and pop her back into bed. This worked the first few times then the little minx decided that she would just keep coming downstairs. After the 3rd "'Allo Mummy" I held the door shut. I plugged in my ipod nano and listened to a lovely Jamie Cullum song. When it finished I opened the door, picked her up and put her back to bed. She's only come down once since and I popped her straight back to bed.

I think that holding the door is the way to go.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only door holder.

I tell ds who is 2 that if he is a good boy and stays in his bed all night he can have some sweeties.

Then if he does he gets a bowl with about 6 jelly tots in it after his breakfast. Don't do it every night, only if he is not settling or has had a run of waking in the night...