Thursday, May 28, 2009
Viva la resistance!
It has begun. The bedtime antics. The "one more stowy, mama". The requests of "my need water", when I tell him it's time for night night. The cries of "pee pee toilet" when the light turns off (only to completely undress him from his footie jams and he not go pee once on the throne). The incessant talking when he should be falling asleep. What's the deal? My perfect sleeper is starting to rock the night time boat. He hasn't started this at naps, thankfully, but what's a mom to do to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. He was a sleeping nightmare for the first 3 months of his life but has been a dream for 20 months. He is already a high energy kid during the day, I don't want this energy to start interrupting his sleep. Help!!
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Ah, dear old TemTem is a pro with the stalling games. It started just at night, and has migrated to nap time as well. I wish I could give good advice, but we haven't turned much of a corner with her. I was a "stickler" and never caved to her million demands. Now she refuses to let me put her to bed, it has to be her daddy or her auntie. (They are a little more of pushovers).
ReplyDeleteThe one thing we started to do that seemed to help a teeny, tiny bit was to tell her that she has 10 minutes before bedtime (after we already got her in her pjs and teeth brushed). And then after the 10 minute warning comes the 5 minute warning. This at least preps her even more, and sometimes helps with the amount she tries to stall.
Can't wait to hear what success others have had!
My daughter started that too. We just took her to the bathroom right before night time and gave her a sip of water at the same time. That way she didnt have any excuses. It was hard at first but we stayed firm with her and eventually (key word...eventually) she learned that at night time she had to stay in her bed.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the luck!
We've definitely been there and done that; although my kids are much sneakier about getting out of bed at night nowadays. When my youngest was that age she started fighting us at bedtime too, we tried to be consistant but it didn't matter what we did or said, it took forever for her to fall asleep. Finally we figured out that she was taking too late of a nap, and once we readjusted her schedule she was back to normal. About a year later we had to cut out her nap entirely for the same reasons. Good luck with your little guy.
ReplyDeleteNo help here. All three of mine fight going to sleep every night. But once asleep they are down for the count...but who wouldn't be after fighting sleep until after 10pm? Ugh...good luck my friend.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the next joy of toddler hood. The only thing I can reccommend is routine routine routine, and never break from it no matter what. Eventually he will learn that after we (for example) sit on the potty, read three books, and get kisses and hugs then we are done for the night. That was the only thing that worked for us with Tommy....even still he fights it some nights.
ReplyDeleteThe only other thing I have read is if he gets out of bed (is he in a bed?) that you don't say anything and just quietly walk him back to bed tuck him in and walk away. He is testing your limits right now and seeing what he can get away with.
With Tommy we are at the point where we also have to limit daytime naps, but we are finding a whole new normal right now so everyting is in flux (ie both boys are napping right now at 4:45...come 10pm I will regret this)
Good Luck!!!
Im probably not a for most authority on this but my boys tell me when they are tired...HA! Go figure. Both of them and the little one tells me @ 8pm almost every night. He can't handle to be awake for too long. He goes all day long...the only advice I have is to lay with him and count to 30 or some # and then tell him that you are leaving and that he can't get up anymore....not the most motherly now am I????
ReplyDeleteGood Luck...
Agh! This is hard, isn't it? You def. want it done before the baby comes! I like all the advice, and hope it works!
ReplyDeleteHi! We did the countdown ahead of time...15 minutes left, 10 minutes left, 5 minutes left. We gave her a sippy cup with a few sips of water in it that she kept by her bed. We also put a baby potty in her bedroom. She could stay awake all night if she wanted, but she couldn't leave the room. If she left the room, she got extra practice staying in her room the next day. It was a bumpy road, but she got it after while. In our case, the consistency was critical. If she got away with something once, she'd push to get away with it again. We had to be fuddy-duddies. Good luck! The phase may pass quickly.
ReplyDeleteAhhh.. this is a hard one. I say the best advise is being consistant.. Don't stall - just simply kiss him, hug, tell him good night and to have sweet dreams. Assure him that he has to be a big boy and go nite nite or else he won't grow big and strong. I tell Brea that when she sleeps she get's bigger so each morning she wakes up and stands up soooo tall and says "Mommy, I'm big now". Works like a charm (for now). Good luck sweetheart.. I know it's twice as hard for you because your so tired right now anyway with being pregnant.
ReplyDeleteKeep us updated and hopefully something will work for you guys and everyone can get a good night's sleep.
I say shorten his nap. It works for Will anyway.
ReplyDeleteOh and Mr. Linky is working now *hint hint* You have no excuses this week since you called me out last week. LOL
Love and Prayers,
Tim
Haha, I'm right there with you. It's the age. And he will work if for another 2+ years!
ReplyDeleteAh, my friend. Ask and you shall receive in the blogosphere. What a great group of supporters you have here. I love it!
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I have done that has worked is manipulating my boy's nap schedule. He is probably awake at night because he is resting during the day.
A warning though: This will obviously mess with your down time during the day. I am still keeping my kids on a nap schedule in the name of my own sanity!
-Francesca
I've got nothing that hasn't already been said. Consistency, routine, and give the kid some warning. "Hey cutest little boy? In 10 minutes we're going to start getting ready for bed." Then start your routine and remind him of what comes next.
ReplyDeleteSadly, we gave in to allowing Logan to crawl in our bed when he started having night terrors when he was 2 1/2. We are STILL sleeping with him, and he'll be 5 in a month. Obviously, we suck at parenting.
ReplyDelete