So, since school has started back up things have been a little rough around here at bedtime. I think there's a lot going on including adjusting to a new place, adjusting to sharing a room, pushing the limits because I'm 2 1/2, teething, missing Mom when she's back at work, and there are probably a few more to include as well! So, I can't IMAGINE why things have been so crazy.
Brett likes to call our new nighttime routine "Battle Sleep" and I have to say that pretty much sums it up.
With Jackson, I think it's mostly teething as his two bottom teeth are poking through his gums. I keep telling myself that he will sleep normally again once his teeth are in and his brother is sleeping like he should be.
For Brady, it's a little more difficult. He is constantly coming out of his room with different excuses or just screaming in his room that he doesn't want to go to bed.
We have tried the Nanny 911 strategy of just bringing him back to bed when he will come out and otherwise letting him cry. He doesn't seem to stop coming out and when we do bring him back in he just screams so that Jackson will get upset and start screaming as well.
We have tried telling Brady that if he gets up, we will take away his toys. The result of this was NO TOYS for 2 days!! And he had ONE night of going to sleep decently before we went out to dinner, got home too close to bedtime, and he had a bad night again.
I've realized through this whole thing how important routine is to kids. We still have to get them back into a routine, and I would love any advice you may have to offer on getting bedtime back to normal for our kids as they learn to share a room in a new place!! Until then, I don't think we'll be doing too much out of routine for the next few weeks!
5 years ago
We go thru stages of bedtime battles too. Vera does best on the days she has an early nap or no nap at all.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that helps (more for naptime) is I tell her she can play for a little while in her room. Pretty soon it gets quiet and when I go in there she has fallen asleep in bed. At nighttime I give her permission to stay awake or talk quietly but she has to stay in bed, that usually works too. I think some kids do better when they feel like they have some control.
When she is not going down after all this we tell her if she comes out of her room again we will have to shut her door. If she stays in bed we will keep the door open.
WE have been having these bedtime battles as well, but Benjamin can't get out of bed yet because he is still in his crib. Instead of getting out he just yells :) So I heard a good one from my sister about getting out. Not sure if a 2 year old could grasp this, but put out 4 quarters. Each time he gets out of bed take one away. At the end of the week he can buy something with the quarters that he has left if he has any. She did this with her 5 year old so I am not sure if it would work with a two year old or not. good luck man! It kind of sounds like an age thing...
ReplyDeleteThat Stinks!! Have you tried putting Jackson in a different room just tempoarily until Brady is back on track? That way you could do the nanny 911 thing...from what I have read that seems to be the best method...of course I don't know from experience cause I don't have 2 year olds yet. Good luck!
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