My daughter is going to be 3 in October. She is growing by leaps and bounds... mentally and physically. She is really well behaved, so much so that, even though she has been calling me to come to her room, she has not gotten out of her toddler bed. I can''t believe she is actually staying in her bed! But the issue I have is the Mommmma Moooomaaaaa's that get me to her room 12 times now! Last night she went to sleep after 2 hours of this back and forth stuff. Every time I go in she requests little things like turning off the night light or her sheets are messed up. How do I stop this vicious cycle?!!! (Her sleeping times are bed by 830 and up around 630, 2-3 hour nap at 1) Thanks!!!
Thanks everyone! Several times during the day we talked about the bight time being a quiet time. No calling mommy unless you really need me because I'm only coming in a couple times. It seemed to work. She called for me once and I waited to hear her again before getting up. She fell asleep. I also told her I would turn off her turtle light if I had to come back. Thanks again!
You can essentially wean her from that if you're willing. For a couple days, tell her that you'll come to her up to 3 times. Once she's got the hang of that, tell her two times, then 1, then not at all. It might take a couple weeks (probably less), but it's probably better for both of you than continuing the back and forth all night.
hehehe...your "really well behaved child" (the one who is so well behaved she won't even get out of bed) is playing you!! i'm sorry i don't mean to make fun, i just had to chuckle. she's stalling bedtime, she's learned that you are at her beck-and-call during that time, and you're eating it up. just put your foot down and quit going in there. the cute "mama" will probably turn into a tirade, but this is an instance where you will have to be firm. keeping the peace and the "good girl" routine is not worth catering to her every whim. which is where you're headed.
S., stop letting that get you in her room, and she will stop doing it, she is only doing it cause it works, Be firm bed time is bed time, not fix the sheets, turning on or off the night light, those are just excuses she's using and you are falling for it line, hook and sinker, so you put a stop to it, you are the adult you are in charge. J.
I just had to be firm with my kiddos. Make a bedtime routine of going potty, getting a drink, reading a book etc. & let her know that "mommy won't be coming back into her room until it's time to get up." Let her know that she's a big girl now & she should go to sleep like a big girl. It sounds like you have "given in" enough times that she knows she can get you back into her room.....I've been there too!!!! It takes a couple nights of sticking to your guns & you should see a change :)
If you don't like the game, don't play it. It's evidently fun for her! She has Mama at her beck and call at least twelve times a night! You can't have much more fun than that when you're two years old! But you can make a new game: you two have a good time doing the bedtime routine, and then it's quiet time when the lights are out!
Just have a routine.
My son, was like that.
He recently made 4.
Its a phase.
I had a ROUTINE with my son... BEFORE bed, I told him to put anything he wants in a small basket, and I got him a straw cup of water for bed.
So he'd put some of his toy cars in the little basket, to keep in bed with him, also his Lovey etc.
The point is to get these things BEFORE they ask for it. And tell him, beforehand... that once she gets in bed, that's it.
My son also has a flashlight IN bed with him....that HE can operate and turn on or off himself. If he forgets to turn it off, fine. Its just a cheap flashlight. I don't use night-lights.
If her sheets are messed up.. then well, teach her HOW to rearrange it.
Just show her how.
Its all about prep and routine... BEFORE they get IN bed.
Routine.... same routine EVERY night.
Its a phase.
My son is actually 'easy' to put to bed... but if I explain BEFORE hand, and get things ready BEFORE he gets in bed... then it reduces the 'requests' that they do... once they get in bed.
In other words, 'anticipate' what she is going to ask for, then do it BEFORE she gets in bed.
And if she asks for something, say "you can do it yourself...."
all the best,
Susan
You stop the cycle when you stop responding to her every call, and she learns to sleep on her own. Sorry, tough love.
my 3 year old is having dark issues. what i do is go through her normal routine at night. then i turn her lady bug light on (it shines stars in the room for like 30 mins.) she will call me in to say somethings under my bed and ill say yes your toys are. i retell her good night and i tell her im not coming back in her room again and that if she wakes up in the middle of the night she can come to my room.
just stop going in there. she only does it because she knows you'll come a runnin. if you just stop going in her room when you know she's only trying to stay awake then she'll get the picture and stop calling you. kids are a lot smarter than us parents give them credit for. good luck!
My daughter is only 2, but I recently had to shorten her daytime nap to 2 hours or less, so she was more tired and ready for bed at nightime! She does the same thing, requesting for stuff all through the night when she isn't sleepy. She will stay in her room for two hours (8-10pm) and when she hears me open the gate come running out of her room saying "Hi mommy, where did baby go" or some sort of inquiry or need for mommy. When she takes shorter naps, she is more likely to get to bed shortly after being put down.
Oh dear. I could never resist that little voice in the night "Mommy - I need you!". My son was waking in the night and couldn't figure how to roll over and go back to sleep on his own. It was tough. I kept telling him Mommy needs some sleep because I can't always take naps the next day, and without enough sleep Mommy gets grouchy. He didn't want to be alone. The night light didn't make a difference. Stuffed animals didn't make a difference. Eventually, he got to the point where he realized waking me wasn't a good idea. So when he woke up and couldn't settle down, he'd come to our room and tuck himself in at the foot of our bed, and he'd fall asleep in no time once he was with us. I'd wake up with him snuggled up to or holding onto my foot. They do out grow this eventually.
When my daughter tries to play that game, I tell her "no, sweetie, I will get you this tissue, but I am NOT coming back into your room again. Do you need anything else? It is now time to go to bed"
Try putting a little night light next to her bed that she can turn on and off by herself. Set a small cup of water by the bed. Maybe she is having trouble sleeping. Try shorting her nap to one hour aroung 12:30 and see if that helps. Maybe the growth sperts are making it hard to sleep.
