From the time my child, he is now seven, was in the womb night time has been playtime for him. How do I get him to go to bed even if the rest of the household is still up? I say go to bed, he says: "I am not tired." and wants to stay up till whenever we are up. He will not obey the command of my voice at all always has a question or a but.
What's his sleep routine like? Does he sleep well through the night? Sleep is so important so I would suggest contacting Davis Erhler - she is the BEST expert on sleeping. She is giving 1/2 off her consultation fees and she will get your child on track. I consulted with her and it was the BEST $$ I ever spent! Go to www.3daysleepsolution.com for more info. Good luck! :)
Be firm and consistent. If he will not obey, take away things he loves. When my 6 year old does not listen, he loses his DS, the length of time depends on how disobedient he was. If he has lost that and he still will not listen, than he will lose more stuff.
If he disregards your verbal command, you need to go to him and physically escort him to his room. Tired or not, it's not ok for him to ignore you. My girls try this occasionally. Now all they have to see is me starting to stand up and they bolt!
How much sleep does he get per night? Does he need to get up in the morning for anything? Once school starts back up, bedtime will need to be more strictly enforced but during summer I see no harm in letting him stay up in his room and read or play a DS on mute. This is the arrangement I have with both my little ones (8 & 5). It's usually only 30 minutes or so before their comfy bed finally knocks them out. ;-)
Best of luck to you and your precious son!
It sounds like maybe he is naturally a "night owl" - I can relate. Around that age, my parents started letting me read a book quietly in bed until I was ready to go to sleep. I had to be in my room by my official bedtime with the door closed, but they didn't insist on "lights out" at that time, as long as I wasn't disturbing anyone else in the house. Could this be something to consider with your son? Then if he still doesn't comply (is noisy or leaves his room after bedtime, etc.), you would impose a consequence, as Jen C. suggested.
Hi A.,
Sleep training is just that... training! You have to be the one to determine your child's sleep needs and that includes wake-up and bed time.
You start this by establishing a routine. Wake up each morning at the same time, naps at the same time, bed-time at the same time. It also means that there is routine in getting him ready for bed. For example: a bath, turning down the blinds, brushing teeth, a good-night story, prayers, tucking in, and kisses before turning down the lights. Children love consistency and routine and the more your stick to your routine they will be happier and easier to manage. I am working on the exact same issue with my six month old. I want him to have these sleep habits developed before his sleep patterns get too established.
Please note, I do NOT take my son out of his bed once he's awake. I have him stay in his crib until I determine that his rest time is over. He has fallen back asleep almost every single time. I also leave a few small soft toys in his crib to keep him busy and quiet until wake-time. This same principle can be applied to your seven year old. Have him stay in bed until you come to get him, and give him a few toys (or even better..books) on his night stand that he can play with until you get him. Even if he doesn't sleep, he is resting and that is still beneficial to his growing body.
You've gotten some great advice here. Does the noise of others bother him (or remind him that something else is going on)? You could try a white noise machine. Evaluate why you are establishing a certain bedtime for him - there are lots of reasons to have an early bedtime for a child, from "he needs the sleep to be healthy" to "I need some adult time"! I think if YOU have a clear idea of why you want him to go to bed at a certain time, it may help you to be more firm. If he is not obeying you, you're going to have to be very firm. Training is not always fun, but it is worthwhile. You'll have to set up some kind of consequence, and respond immediately. He's old enough to understand obedience, and also old enough to understand that he can get his way with you if he pushes hard enough. You have to be stronger than your child! The best I ever received was "Be consistent". If you think you might give in and say yes to a request, just say yes right away. If you are going to say no, say it right away, and do NOT BACK DOWN!! You can do it! :)
Hi A., at 7 he is old enough to obey, and if he does not then you need to discipline, Gina says let him read quietly in his room, if these kids have school the next day, they need to get the proper amount of rest. Loosing stuff is a punishment, flat out defiance needs discipline. J.
