My son is 2 and the mention of bed sends him into a 2 hour tantrum what can i do?

Question

As soon as we tell him its time for bed he throwes himself down on the floor into a tantrum,kicking, screeming,crying, i pick him up and take him to his room as hes still sceeming and hitting me,i try to read to him he don't want to listen, i try to sing to him he don't want to listen ,i've even tryed to just walk out of the room and he follows screeming, so i put him back in his bed again and the prosses just repeats it self

Answer 1

keep up with the walking out.. don't look at him when you put him back and walk back out. Don't go too far.. just outside the door will do and just keep it up until he falls asleep. It will be tiring and you will want to comfort him but it will work and your not being mean. He just needs to know you mean business. Bedtime means bedtime. You'll get it hun just don't give up.

Answer 2

Give him 5 or 10 minutes notice that bedtime is forthcoming so he has a chance to finish what he is doing or finishing watching his TV programme. If he is too young to appreciate time, get a 5 or 10 minute timer (Like an egg timer) and explain that when the sand runs out, it is bedtime. Accept no augument but praise lavishly when the routine is estabilished and he begins to comly. Try to ignore the getting out of bed as long as he stays in his room. Repeat, taking him back to bed as many times as it takes if necessary. Best of luck.

Answer 3

In any kid's problem it is important first to get a health check. Then the doctor might suggest a mild sedative like Calpol before talking about bed. If that doesn't work do you think getting him to sleep downstairs for a start, and then taking him upstairs, would be a good idea? It's important to break the cycle. Incidentally, I guess he does get to sleep eventually. In my day a tantrum of your son's sort was dealt with by a slapped bottom!!

Answer 4

Insanity: repeaing the same action over and over and expecting different results.

You need to find a routine that works for your son. A two year old should be perfectly capable of communicating an answer to basic questions like:
Do you want your story here or in your room?
Do you want to brush your teeth before or after whatever/
Do you want to wear these pajamas or those ones?

Find out if there is something about the bed he doesn't like. Maybe he needs rails or something.

Answer 5

When My sister was little she would do the same thing. My mother started useing the phrase quite time. and told her she had to stay in her room and she cant come out unless she had to go potty. It worked, she eventually fell asleep. Also try to get him all tired. like running around a couple of hours before bed time so he gets tired.

Answer 6

First of all, keep your cool (I know it's murder), Do the SAME routine EVERY night. Put a safety gate on his bedroom door.
You MUST be repetitive as far as the night routine goes, we went through this with my first son, it took about 3 weeks altogether, and made my cry with frustration sometimes, but we stuck to doing exactly the same thing EVERY night and eventually it became my son's routine.
You've GOT to persevere even when you think it's never going to work. IT WILL, I went through it.

Answer 7

Try 'bribing' him with bedtime stories on CD (readily available at ABC shops, Readers Digest, and eBay. Put them on in his room and that will encourage him into the room. We have found that our children will stay in their beds simply so that they do not miss any of the story.

Answer 8

try to find out from him why he doesn't want to go to bed. if the problem is something like fear of the room or of sleep itself, try doing what you can to fix the situation. on the other hand, if it is that he simply doesn't want to obey you, explain to him the benefits of sleep and the consequences of the lack of it. let him know that you as the parent set rules and expect him to obey. provide consequences for him if he continues to disobey, gets up grouchy from lack of sleep. stop taking him to his room. when he does wake up in the morning have a consequence ready for him to face because you had trouble getting him to go to sleep. i think he is testing whether you mean what you say. let him know that you do.

Answer 9

just ignore him. he's more than figured out the tantrum leads to extra attention. he walks out of the room? than give him a quick one across the rear...

Answer 10

make a game out of bed time. like who can go to bed the fastest. it may seem like a lot right now but your child is probably just going through a phase. it is also important to show him who is the parent if you arent disiplining him enough. good luck :]