Grow clock - any advice on how to make it work?

[Beachpebble]

My ds is about to be 3 and is waking earlier and getting very tired in the day.

I'm setting the grow clock for about 20 minutes after he's waking. He's still coming to our room when he wakes and I'm bringing him back to his room and sitting with him while he watches the clock till the sun comes up.
Has anyone got any experience of doing this and it starting to work? Or advice on how to make it work? I'm obviously hoping he'll start staying in his room till suns up, but don't know if we'll get there.
Any shared experiences very welcome. TIA

Baby gate on his room? Or does he need to get out for the loo?

Get crosser! DS has been understanding the gro clock since just over 2.

gro clock never worked here, sorry. I tried for a few months then got rid of it.

Try setting it just before or at the time he wakes up for a few days, let him have the excitement of telling him the sun has come up, then gradually (5-10min increments) set it later until you get to the desired time. That and reading the book every night before bed. Good luck!

I agree with June. It's worked for both mine since they were 2 and DD at 4.5 still sticks to it. We've taken it on all our holidays for years.

Sun up time has to be completely achievable at first. Even 5 mins before usual wake up time

I think it is possible we may have had sticker charts from time to time. Like in summer when it gets light so early. Plus complete no compromising walking back to bedroom every time they come in, until the sun is up. Good luck.

I'm also with June.

My boys are very trained to the grow clock. To the extent they are obsessed by it and will not sleep without it and will never get up early (even on Christmas Day) or lay in, even after a late night. As they can now both tell the time, we can't even adjust it without doing all the clocks in the house! I really need to wean them off it as they are 5 and 8!! Beware!!!

Ds learnt to change the time on the gro clock within a day. Chucked it out.

Teaching numbers worked better - and more fun toys on the floor of his room between him and me. And then teaching him how to turn the telly on...

After many years of trying and watching other people try I have come to the conclusion that the only way to make things like this work is to make sure you have the sort of child for whom this sort of thing works. Sorry.

Thank you everyone for your replies. Yes, I thought I might need make it more achievable - 5 minutes after waking not 20. I had forgotten about the book as we had it for my dd years ago. Hmm, think there's some truth in your comment unfortunately Bertrand, but I will persevere for a bit.

Didn't work for us. DD didn't like it and just pulled the wire out of it every night!