Help...big boy bed transition is not going well!

Hello all -
So we moved our boys from their cribs to toddler beds over a month ago as Luke could not stop climbing out of his crib. We took everything fun out of their room and the first three weeks went great - we did our night time routine, tucked them in, put on their music and they were off to sleep. However, this last week everything has fallen apart. At night time I am doing the same routine but they view it as a time to run and play and sing and and and! I have tried staying in the room on the floor and putting them back in bed as they get out but they out number me and this quickly becomes a fun game for them. I've tried leaving them alone in hopes that they will tire out and fall asleep - that worked once and not the rest of the times. I have been separating them when I feel that we are not getting close to falling asleep and I put one boy in the pack n play in the guest room. They are still napping well (they nap in different rooms and always have). They used to go to bed at 8:00 and now we are lucky if anyone is asleep by 9:30.
Any suggestions ladies?

 

It seems to me that they're close to ready to drop their nap, sorry to say. My kids have been in big beds for over a year now, but they still play a bit in their room when they're not tired. I'm just not worried about it, they just fall asleep when they are tired... I would either get rid of naps, move them earlier, or cut them shorter.

 

My boys were just a few months older than yours are when we made the switch (2yr 10mo). Something similar happened with us... the first few weeks were great AND napping was no problem. I was pretty smug about how lucky I was. Then the party hats when on. They were good at nap time but bedtime was a different story. First, I will say that there are absolutely no toys in their room besides stuffed animals and I keep the room very dark. Binkies are gone. The only thing that worked for me was sitting on the floor outside their room and putting them back in bed as soon as they got out (we have a camera in their room). I bribe them with "sleep treats" where if they stay in bed and stay quiet, I will give them a treat in the morning. If they refuse to listen, I start taking things away... their sleep treat, Twilight Turtle, stuffed animals, blanket, pillow, etc... or result to time outs or spanking if they get really unruly. Like anything else, consistency is the key. Something else worth trying (which I had a lot of luck with when I was potty training) was a sticker reward chart for days when they behave at bedtime... now that I have mentioned it, I am going to start one! I was not willing to give up naps at that age, though when they did not nap, bedtime WAS much easier but the late afternoon into evening was a struggle with the whining and fits.

I just say that bedtime in still a struggle in our house. At 3 years old, some days they will nap and some days they don't. Some days it takes 5-10 trips in their room to settle them down. Other days, it is easier. Our biggest issue now is night time waking. I haven't been able to pin down the magic formula to good sleep yet. Every day is different!! Know that you are not alone!!!!!! Good luck!