Mom That Needs Advice

We often tell a child what they shouldn't do, I know I am guilty of this but maybe you can tell him what he can do to "get something". For example, if he stays in his own bed all night he gets a sticker..if he gets 5 stickers he gets a "prize", even if it's the $1.00 sundae at McDonalds. Or you make him a special treat. This may help put a positive spin on it that he will want to try.

Good luck...these crazy things really throw us for a loop at times dont they!

Are you sure he's not sleep walking? My daughter used to do something like this- and when she did it in the middle of the night we realized she was sleep walking. She looked awake and seemed to be making sense when we spoke to her- but had no memory of the event the next morning.

The other thing that might be happening is that perhaps he's hungry or has to use the bathroom and that's why he's getting up. Some times small children wake up and don't realize why they've gotten up. It's not uncommon for young children to also like to wander around after they've woken up.

In any case- just make sure you lock all the doors (so he doesn't decide to go outside one morning) and maybe try giving him a small snack before bed??

Hi M.,
Same thing happened to us a few months ago. I had a perfect sleeper who all of a sudden started getting up in the middle of the night, resisting bed times, etc. It turned out to be just a phase...thank goodness. The trick is to try to keep the routine consistent until they "grow out of it". It took about 2 months for everything to settle down but there was light at the end of the tunnel. Hope all goes well for you and hang in there!

Buy the Ferber sleep advice book, by Dr Ferber. It is awesome. I had a child who wouldn't stay in bed. He threw up over the gate that we tried to put in the door. After reading Dr Ferber's book, within four days he would go to sleep and stay in bed. Your child is just testing your boundaries. You need to get a tough approach and stick with it. I now have two kids who go to bed and stay and it is WONDERFUL!! Good luck.

g.

At this age, they are able to understand the reward system and thus making certain things their own accomplishment. At this age we would take dollar store items and put them in a pillowcase. If he stayed in his bed after being put down, then he was allowed to choose a prize in the morning. Sometimes it is just about getting them back into a good habbit...we all fall away from routine and at this age it is easy to do this. As my kids got older and would walk around and get out of bed, I would put 3 dimes in the doorway. Everytime the child crosses the doorway you take a dime. Whatever is left in the morning is their's to keep. It is the same concept of a reward system but it needs to be age appropriate.

Hi M., I have a 2 1/2 year old boy and is he all BOY. We tried the gate at the door and it didn't work he would climb over it. So we now put him in bed say good night shut the door and lock it from the outside we also lock the bathroom door because it is a jack and Jill and he would bother my daughter or get into things. Try that maybe if he knows he can't get out you mean business and he will go to sleep. I works great with us when he gets up he calls for me and I go get him. Hope this works for you, I have to say boys are 10 times harder than girls!! R. C.

Hi M., I know you don't want to hear this but....the best thing you can do is every time he gets out of bed, you put him back into bed. Let him know that he is not allowed out of bed once you have put him to bed. Right now I think he's trying to see where the boundary lines are. If he gets away with it once, it will cause him to keep trying again. You have to outlast him, when he gets out of bed just go immeditaley and place his butt back in bed.
I went through this with both of my children. They were real good at first about going to bed, then they wanted to see what they could get away with. If you stick to your guns, it will get better.
Just remember we're the parents and we are the ones that have to set the rules...not them (yea right...we have to keep reminding ourselves of that).
Good luck :)