Head banging toddler

[Clarinet60]

Any tips on getting my 3 year old ds to stay in bed? He's now taken to banging his head on the stairs when we tell him to go back to bed. It's 10:20pm and I started putting him to bed at 8. He's tired out, gets plenty of excercise, but fights sleep and hates being alone. DS2 is too young, I feel, at 5 months, to go in his room and I think they would disturb each other.

Have you tried putting your ds back to bed every single time he gets out, Droile? Lurk outside his room and pounce as soon as the door opens or you see him, keeping conversation to a minumum. It will be very boring for you/your dh and hopefully it will boring for your ds too. Maybe you can take a book with you to while away the hours! Good luck.

Have you tried putting your ds back to bed every single time he gets out, Droile? Lurk outside his room and pounce as soon as the door opens or you see him, keeping conversation to a minumum. It will be very boring for you/your dh and hopefully it will boring for your ds too. Maybe you can take a book with you to while away the hours! Good luck.

Blumming internet! Sorry 'bout the post x 2!

Sorry, but we took the tough approach ... if DS stays in bed he gets to have the door open, if he gets out of bed we shut the door. It took one or two nights for him to get the message ... we got the idea from Christopher Green's toddler taming book.

Also, just a thought, does your DS still sleep in the day time? We had a real battle with DS to go to sleep at night when he was beginning to drop his daytime nap. On the days that he slept he would be awake until 10pm (bedtime at 7.30) but on the days that he didn't sleep there were no complaints. Now that he hasn't had a sleep in the day for about 6 weeks he goes to bed like a lamb!! (My DS is nearly 3)

Droile - it might be worth trying your boys in together.

Ours were slightly different ages to yours - 4.5yrs and 6mths - but it worked like a dream. Ds1 liked 'looking after' ds2 and ds2 seemed to settle better in the night (think he could hear ds1 breathing and that calmed him) without having to go to him.

Now, they natter like crazy to each other but that only lasts for 20 mins or so then they both settle well. I love listening to their 'conversations' through the baby alarm

Thanks heaps for all your replies. Suedonim, we've tried that, but thanks. He can get out of bed and be put back in 60 million times. Ghosty, we haven't tried the door thing but will do tonight, good idea. He is better when he hasn't had a slepp during the day, but getting him to stay awake at 2pm when he needs to sleep is another kind of hell. He's fallen asleep standing up sometimes. Snugs, I am tempted to put them in together, but I'm scared of DS1 putting something in DS2's mouth. I could take all the small stuff out of their room, but I'm scared stiff that he'd find something I'd missed. There must be a way to do this though, as I know that it works for many of you.

Just to update you, they've both been asleep since before 9pm tonight.
Have I spent my novel freedom catching up on work (getting desperately behind) or doing some writing, or phoning a friend, or cuddling with DH?
No, I've been on mumsnet all night.
You lot have a lot to answer for.

LOL, Droile! Long may the peace continue.