any helpful tips on getting my 3 yr old to bed earlier and in his own bed... not mine?!?

Question

I had him going down at 8 in his bed no fuss all nite! Then I got in a car accident and popped my hip so he had to go stay with his dad for a few weeks and that messed it up completely and haven't been able to get that back since! Help!!

Answer 1

try to use same routine every night

Answer 2

Try to reinforce a new schedule for him. Get him into bed-time mode a bit earlier each day until you've reached a time you're more comfortable with. When/if he tries to sneak into your bed- calmly put him back in his bed- as many times as it takes until he's sleeping in his bed.

I read somewhere in a parenting book that giving the child extra attention when trying to resolve an issue will only make it worse. (was also on Nanny 911-- dont know how true it is).

We went through a similar stage wi th our 3 yr old and tried this technique and it worked for us. Each time we went up to put her back in her own bed, we'd calmly take her to her own bed, tuck her in and jsut wait for her next move. It took some time... and there were a couple of nights where she just wouldn't have it (threw fits and such).

Answer 3

You had him in a routine. The routine got busted & now he is in another routine. You just have to be vigilant about getting him back in the old routine. Start earlier. Have night time activities, read the book in bed, etc. Then put him in his bed, say goodnight & walk away. He may scream, & it is sooo hard to hear your child scream, but he is just resisting. He may follow you, but continue repeating the process of putting him in bed. Eventually he will tire out. (Hopefully before you!) You may have to do this for a week. It's worth the payoff.
Remember - You are the parent, you are doing it for his good, you are NOT hurting him.

Answer 4

It may be tempting to give in to your child's pleas to stay up just a little bit longer, but you need to set limits. Letting him stay up past his bedtime now and then is fine, but you don't want to reinforce this behavior by caving in to his demands every night. This can be particularly hard if you and your spouse work during the day and the evenings are the only time you get to spend with your child. But not only is it important for your child to have a consistent sleep schedule, you deserve time to unwind at the end of the day too. Plus, you need to make sure your child is getting enough sleep so he's not sleep deprived.

To help your toddler fall asleep at a reasonable hour, don't let him nap past 4 p.m. At least four hours should elapse between the end of his nap and bedtime.

Answer 5

Tell him you always did it like this at the home. He's a big boy and has his own bed. Stick to the same routine like you used to do, let him realize you'll stick to it and it doesn't matter what is taking place at his dad's house, these are you rules.
If you can, talk to his dad as well and try to stick to the same plan in both your houses. If you're consequent in what your doing, he'll get the clue, it ain't worthwhile whining.

Answer 6

Yep - start him out in his room/bed each night. Every time he gets up and comes into your room, you need to take him back to his bad and stay with him til he falls asleep. Eventually he will get the message again and return to sleeping in his own bed.

Answer 7

Keep it consistent. Be firm and don't give in. Put him in the bed and if he gets out take him back to his room. Do this all nite til her gets tired of it.

Answer 8

Try reading to him in his bed before he falls asleep. Snuggle with him in his own bed and read a book to him. My son loves it.

Answer 9

I agree with Gabe