What do your kids do once they go to bed?

This is by far the most difficult thing I've had to go through with the twins. Finally switched over to toddler beds because they were climbing out of their cribs so we've lost the naps and bedtime, well, has gone down the tubes. They're driving me nuts! Up until late hours, playing, screaming, jumping, etc. How do you teach them that it's bedtime? What works for you? I'm going to get the door monkey because they keep opening their door to turn on lights and lay at the top of the stairs (not good). So than what, they are in their room and I'm just to let them play and do whatever till they fall asleep???

That's going to drive me nuts.

HELP!

 

I don't know what to tell you about the whole bed time thing except ours went from a living nightmare that made me understand alcoholics to not my favorite time but whatever when they turned 4.

What is a HUGE shocker to me is that....ADDISON IS ALMOST A YEAR OLD??????? OMG!! It just seems like yesterday!!!! HAAPPY BIRTHDAY in advance SWEET GIRL!!!!!

 

What helped at bedtime when we made the transition to toddler beds was for me to stay in their room after the bedtime routine, lights out, no interaction from me except a gentle reminder if things got too wild in the bed or just taking them back into bed if they got out of bed. No discussions, no strong reactions - just "night-time is for sleeping, please go back to bed, please do not disturb your sibling". We had a few nights when this meant I was up there for well over an hour in the dark, now 10 minutes are mostly enough - they will sing and chat to themselves a little and then fall asleep. I do not know though, if this approach is practical with your younger daughter - is she in bed already or can dad help when the twins go down for the night?

If they also gave up naps with the transition could they be overtired and overstimulated? That also tends to make bedtime more difficult.

GL, bedtime battles are miserable!

 

:wine: I know exactly what you mean.

And I know!!!!!!! I can't believe that she's one already! :cry: It does seem like just yesterday that we brought her home. I must've been on auto-pilot or in a kid-induced coma this entire year cause I have NO idea where it went. Thanks for the birthday wishes!

 

Lightbulb! I'm going to try and put them to bed earlier. We've kept their bedtime the same since the switch and lost naps so it would make sense that they are overtired! Going to try that tonight and see how it goes! Thanks!

 

We did exactly what Happy June did... sit either inside their room with the lights out of right outside their door. Every time I heard someone talk or whisper or start to jump around, I'd calmly say that they needed to get back in bed, or be quiet (or whatever). The first few nights I had to stay there for over an hour, but after a week or so, bedtime was back to normal.

Make sure you explain to your kids what the expectation is. Ie - tell them that they are expected to stay in bed, be quiet, go to sleep, etc. Act it out during the day and ask them what they're going to do at bedtime and naptime. And I do agree that if your kiddos aren't napping, they're probably overtired at bedtime. Can you put them in separate rooms for nap for a week or so until things are under control again?

 

My girls understood that it was bedtime, because we went to bed at that time. If I didn't fall asleep, I got up once they were asleep--but seriously at 3, I often fell asleep with them. If you stay up, kids want to stay up. Our bedtime routine includes turning off the downstairs lights and locking the doors, we all go up stairs, brush teeth, read a story and get into bed.
Unconventional maybe, but I've never had any problems with bedtime. I don't even think that book, Go the F*** to Sleep is funny because it's a none issue at our house.

 

It's what we did. It lasted about a week, then they stopped playing. We removed everything from their room though, apart from the bed (mattresses on the floor really) and bedding, and some stuffed animals. Just closed the door and left them. They fell asleep on the floor quite a bit but *shrug*.

We actually still kept naps for about 2 months too... it just took them about a week to get used to napping again. Once we cut naps we ended up putting them to bed 2 hours earlier (they did nap for 2 hours or more though), and haven't had any issue since... we just put them in bed at 7pm and they fall asleep. It's been 6 months. I have to add though.. we've never catered to their cries after bedtime (except them sick). We let them CIO at 5 months, and the few times since when they were crying at bedtime. I guess by now they know that we will NOT go back in.

 

We did a few things. Each had two loveys that they slept with. First time they got a warning. Second time, lost one lovey, and the third time, both. We only had to take both once, and rarely had to even take one, once they realized we meant it.

 

My kids basically went insane when we made the switch over the summer. They would party for hours, and the longer we stayed in there, the longer they stayed up. They'd sing and dance and clomp around and find things to destroy. It was mayhem. But it was also a phase; last night though they went to bed themselves and insisted on leaving the door open. They stayed in their beds and chatted for a while and went to sleep.

So my only advice is to try and be persistent with a routine and when they're ready it will catch. Hopefully it won't take months like my two!