my three year gives me grief about going to bed at night what should i do?

Answer 1

We have the same problem- We read a book at 8pm and no later than 9 we are out of the room and if he has a book in bed or a toy as long as he is in bed he will eventually go to sleep. I dont like the fact that he will sometimes stay up till 10 but u really can not force a child to sleep. He does take naps but usually only an hour or little more so i know he is tired but he is really good at fighting it!!
Use a night light (if you dont object)
Give them a book (we try this before toys)
And leave the room (if ours get up we put him right back in there, we dont stay.)
Maybe a little bit of warm milk before bed (not much unless you want a mess!!!)

GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 2

I've found that having a routine helps my daughter (she's 21 months) Her routine: 1)Get a bath (usually a "bubba", bubble, bath. 2) Have a snack (usually a cup of yogurt or applesauce). 3) Brush her teeth. 3) Sit w/ me in the rocking chair and read a story or two 4) Lay her down in her bed and give her a book to look at. She's usually out in 10 minutes. This routine may not work for your child, but I think most kids need a nighttime routine. I can tell a difference in her willingness to settle down if something in her routine is changed. Good luck!!

Answer 3

I have 3-year-old twins who share a room. They talk and goof around when they are supposed to be sleeping. We have a list of rules posted on the wall that I read every night. They now know the rules by heart. The rules chart says: Katie's and Emily's Sleep Rules. 1. The light stays off. 2. Stay in your bed. 3. Be quiet. 4. Close your eyes. 5. Go to sleep. We read this every night and they get a sticker in the morning if they follow the rules.

Answer 4

My son is almost three and was doing the same thing. He was also getting up at night often. I had to realize that he was out growing his nap. Now, if he isn't asleep by 2 PM, we forgo the nap, and he's tired enough at bed time. We also made his bedtime routine extra consistant, cozy bath every night, 2 books, hug, kiss, goodnight. We addressed fears, since they are so common at this age. Turns out he was spooked by the neighbor's pot-bellied pig in their yard. We looked online at pictures of cute pigs and kind of desensitized him, he felt much better. We also have his stuffed dog peek out the curtains and 'bark' last thing before we leave, to scare away whatever is scary, it's cheesy, but gets a big smile, and he settles down.

Answer 5

i think if you dont have a problem sleeping with him or her till she falls asleep then do it. trust me you wont have a 15yr old sleeping with you one day. they grow out of it. geesh! lol i am a mother of four and the older three were in bed by 8pm at one week old!! because i was determined to have well trained little kids. well after the divorce my kids migrated to my room for comfort and security during a time of stress in our family. so see life doesnt go as smooth as we want. to me it was a wake up call. if you try to have everything just so, something will come along and yank the rug from under ya. what did i learn in the past year....rules are good to have, but so is cherishing all teh time you have with your little ones. we have structure in my home, but i had to learn to pick my battles. with my fourth child (the ex left when she was born) i raise her totally different than the other three and in my opinion she's the more well adjusted! GOOD LUCK, lissette

Answer 6

My kids know that if they get out of their beds that they will not like the consequences. As a result of strict adherence to bedtime since they were very young, they know better than to give us a hard time now.

Think about the consequences of not enforcing rules. By the time the child is a teenager, you will have no control over them, and they will believe that no one's rules apply to them. You are the parent, this is not a popularity contest, and this is not a dress rehearsal.

Answer 7

Right now your child is testing boundaries. If I do this ____ What will Mommy do? Stick to your game plan no matter what. Kids need structure in their lives to give them a sense of controll. Maybe they can pick out a book or listen to a song they like before bed. That way they have some controll. Just not in what you need them to stick with.

Answer 8

Make her bed time predictable...

15 minutes before its time to get ready a little reminder
10 minute reminder
5 more minute reminder
PJ's
Brush teeth
Bed time story
One last kiss
A quick tuck in

Make sure lights are dimmed, tvs are off, music is low (if there is music).

Repeat each night the same way, at the same time. Eventually she will be tired by the time she gets to the end and fall asleep without trouble.

Answer 9

Stick to it!

This sounds terrible but they need guidance and structure. my 2 boys go to bed at 7:30 / 8:00 at night and sleep till 6 am and take a 2 hour nap everyday.

Answer 10

This is what we do! After dinner, they take baths...etc. They can play in their rooms (or whatever) until 10 minutes before bedtime, then the brush their teeth and have their magic medicine (takes away bad dreams...etc...they are flinstone vitamines). They get 5 minutes of tv and then lights out...we have no problems putting two 4 year olds to bed at all. Even at nap time...which they get no tv and no magic med's...just hugs and kisses...