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toddler bedtime semi vent

How do you do it? 

Since we switched the boys over to toddler beds it has been a bit difficult... well it wasn't.... until one day DH stayed home with them and tried to put them down for a second nap when they weren't tired and they learned how to get into and out of bed, and all the other cool things they can do besides sleep in their room....

so now we have implemented a  bed time... we eat dinner between 5 and 5:30 and have quiet play time until 645 (which may seem early, but they have to be up by 515 at the latest on week days) at which point an alarm on our phone goes off and they know it is time to pick up and go to bed, we brush teeth, change diapers and into jammies and they lie down in bed and I read "Goodnight Moon"

They are in and out  of their beds like revolving doors... which is why we decided to do a steady bed time, before it had just been when we finished dinner... and got them ready...

but here it is 8:15 and they have just now started to quiet down... tonight so far they have climbed their desk (twice... so I took it out of the room), stripped down and taken their diapers off 3 times, and have been in and out of their room numerous times... I am at my wits end tonight because I am home alone...

 I am sitting in the dark living room hoping maybe if they think I went to bed they would go too...

 

DH wants to go in and rub their backs, like we did when we were starting to sleep train, but that seems like a bit of a regression and I can't do that when I am here by myself (which is going to be happening a lot more until we get to camp... and then I will be on my own for bed time every night!)

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Re: toddler bedtime semi vent

  • Oh dear!  The only thing Helen has ever done is get books off her bookshelf and take them into her bed.  She also can't get out of her room because I have a door knob cover on the inside of her bedroom.

    I wonder if part of the problem is that there are two of them to egg each other on?  Not that you can do anything about that, though.  I suppose it would be wrong to sew velcro strips to their sheets and the backs of their pajamas?  Wink

    ETA: Helen's bedtime is 8:00 and a lot of times she doesn't go to sleep until 9 or sometimes even later, but she just lays in her bed and talks or sings to herself. 

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  • Bedtime is not the best time of day for us.  Ben does well with me, but if DH puts him to bed it takes over an hour (I've even heard little footsteps at 10:30 eek!) for him to settle down.  I just shake my head since I can be in and out in 15 minutes including reading 3 stories and singing him a few songs.  Ben actually tells me "ok mama, night, see you soon!" and basically tells me to go away so he can go to bed.  I think dads (I'm going to generalize based on my experience and others I've observed) really want to do the easy thing to make it all better and smooth things over which often results in little kids that walk all over them because they know they can.  I think you're right to stay strong with this one and do the super nanny technique of returning them to bed without talking or engaging at all.  Good luck.  It's such a tough time with 1 nevermind 2 that can conspire against you!
  • imageMainelyFoolish:

    Oh dear!  The only thing Helen has ever done is get books off her bookshelf and take them into her bed.  She also can't get out of her room because I have a door knob cover on the inside of her bedroom.

    I wonder if part of the problem is that there are two of them to egg each other on?  Not that you can do anything about that, though.  I suppose it would be wrong to sew velcro strips to their sheets and the backs of their pajamas?  Wink

    ETA: Helen's bedtime is 8:00 and a lot of times she doesn't go to sleep until 9 or sometimes even later, but she just lays in her bed and talks or sings to herself. 

    This happens with my boys ALL the time lately.  I feel for you as I am trying to sleep train right now, and one of the boys I am ready to ask the hospital if I can return or exchange him. (JK). 

    Obviously I have no advice, but I now know what I am in for, especially since DH will be starting to work nights soon.  Good luck!

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  • imageKatieLG04:
    Bedtime is not the best time of day for us.  Ben does well with me, but if DH puts him to bed it takes over an hour (I've even heard little footsteps at 10:30 eek!) for him to settle down.  I just shake my head since I can be in and out in 15 minutes including reading 3 stories and singing him a few songs.  Ben actually tells me "ok mama, night, see you soon!" and basically tells me to go away so he can go to bed.  I think dads (I'm going to generalize based on my experience and others I've observed) really want to do the easy thing to make it all better and smooth things over which often results in little kids that walk all over them because they know they can.  I think you're right to stay strong with this one and do the super nanny technique of returning them to bed without talking or engaging at all.  Good luck.  It's such a tough time with 1 nevermind 2 that can conspire against you!

    This exactly.  On nights that DH is away, I have no problems.  On nights that he is home, Ridley is out of her bed at least three times with any excuse she can think of.  Seriously, one time she came out with a piece of lint that she found in her bed.  I have no advice for you since I imagine that it is much worse with two of them!  But know that you are not alone.  I truly believe that this is just a phase.  At least that is what I am telling myself.  

    Love is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important. ~ Lisa Hoffman
  • Yes, this is our life! We have been struggling with this as well! I think him climbing out of his crib and Jack arriving around the same time didn't help us because we were trying to make it as easy as possible for us so we would just lay with him for about 10 mintues because he would come out 100 times if we didn't. Now we are trying to get out of that habitat. We read him a couple of books, then shut the light off and lay for 5 minutes before we say good night. I'm hoping by next week when we shut off the light, we can leave the room.
  • imagekclouts:

    imageKatieLG04:
    Bedtime is not the best time of day for us.  Ben does well with me, but if DH puts him to bed it takes over an hour (I've even heard little footsteps at 10:30 eek!) for him to settle down.  I just shake my head since I can be in and out in 15 minutes including reading 3 stories and singing him a few songs.  Ben actually tells me "ok mama, night, see you soon!" and basically tells me to go away so he can go to bed.  I think dads (I'm going to generalize based on my experience and others I've observed) really want to do the easy thing to make it all better and smooth things over which often results in little kids that walk all over them because they know they can.  I think you're right to stay strong with this one and do the super nanny technique of returning them to bed without talking or engaging at all.  Good luck.  It's such a tough time with 1 nevermind 2 that can conspire against you!

    This exactly.  On nights that DH is away, I have no problems.  On nights that he is home, Ridley is out of her bed at least three times with any excuse she can think of.  Seriously, one time she came out with a piece of lint that she found in her bed.  I have no advice for you since I imagine that it is much worse with two of them!  But know that you are not alone.  I truly believe that this is just a phase.  At least that is what I am telling myself.  

    Ok that actually cracked me up because it can totally be that ridiculous sometimes.

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