PLEASE help me with this bedtime issue

My kids used to be really good about going right to sleep when we would put them to bed. Then they learned to climb out of the crib. My husband travels quite a bit but when he's here and helping me put the boys to bed, we put them in their cribs and they go right to sleep...no peep whatsoever. My husband travels quite a bit and when it's just me putting them to bed it's a HUGE struggle lately. I do the exact same routine as when my hubsband is here but then, when I go to leave the room they both jump up, start screaming, climb out or bed, yell for me to put their blankies back on after they delibertly kick them off and if I don't come in, they climb out. I have tried everything from putting them back and telling them it's time to go to bed, putting them back without looking at them or saying anything, yelling at them....etc...It has taken me up to 2hrs to get them to STAY in their cribs. Tonight, it's just one doing it thankfully but it is driving me UP THE WALL because I can't get anything done!
I guarantee you that tomorrow night when my husband is here they will go right to bed without a peep....HELP!

 

If you want to keep them in their cribs it sounds like a crib tent might be a good idea.

http://www.target.com/Tots-Mind-Cozy-Crib-Tent/dp/B000XSD9GG

Mine haven't yet attempted to climb out of their cribs so I can't comment on how well these work, but I've heard great things about crib tents in general (as well as people who are opposed to them).

Good luck! :hug:

 

I gave up and switched to toddler beds and still had a month long fight on our hands. I think just some time to adjust and the bedtime routine consistency is what finally did it for us. That and covering up the night light. The race car beds didn't hurt anything, but it didn't fix it alone either! Seriously, their bedtime routine is so scripted that they get upset if the dog isn't in the hallway to step over on their way to bed We are 6 months in and it's still more difficult is one of us isn't home.

During the fight, I had the best luck with putting them back in bed without saying a word. DH had better luck with opening the door very quickly almost as soon as their feet hit the ground. We did this for hours some nights. Do you have a video monitor? I got this one and it made it very nice to know whether or not to go in. Sometimes they are very loud from their own beds and others someone would just be up staring at their brother. Either way the sooner we could catch them the less over all time it would take. It was like they had less time to get wound up again.

Good luck - this was a very difficult time for us. I had gotten use to my sleep!

 

Crib tents was my first thought, but my next thought was potentially keep the door closed (or put up gates) and eventually they will fall asleep, and at least you dont have to keep putting them back in bed.

My kids are definintely more work when DH is out of town (which is often), but I keep the routine the same and that works pretty well for us. My kids do not climb out of the cribs yet, but when they do I have the crib tents all ready to go!

 

I'm with Isis if you don't want to go the crib tent route. Just make sure that their room is safe and let them thrash away, eventually they will fall asleep. They could be doing this because they know you'll come back in the room. Take away that bit of excitement and they might get bored of it.

Of course, moving their bedtime is an option too. A&R were going to bed at 7 until they hit 2 1/2, then wham! They refused to sleep for an hour. So we moved their bedtime back to 8 and have no issues now. They occasionally get sent to bed sooner, but they won't fall asleep until 8.

 

ME TOO!!! I have a lady come help me some days while I work, and she raves that the kids go to sleep for her within 10 or 15 minutes! what?! anyway, her way is that she puts them in the bed and says "its time to go to sleep", when they get up she puts them back and says that again. if/when they get up again she says "its time to lie down" and she puts them back down, if they get up after that she just keeps silently putting them back down.

she said at nap time today she put them in bed, and poof they stayed!

anyway, usually I lose my wits and keep talking to them and telling them to be quiet and lay down etc. tonight I followed exactly what she did, and it seemed like within 10-15 min I might have been done, but then they came to life again, and I spent the next 10-15 min. putting them back in bed about 5 times a minute it felt like! I didn't talk, just kept putting back in bed.

all in all it was "only" a 35 min. thing. So actually with my track record the last few nights that was great.

I'm really hoping that they keep getting better each night after... who knows. Ours are 25 months and have been able to crawl out of cribs since 18+ months... I used crib tents for a while, ut we have a vacation coming up in a month that I think it will be easier w/o cribs, so here I am going through the hassle!

 

Thanks everyone! The boys are 32 months old so I am thinking we are getting closer to big boy beds so I am not going to go the crib tent route. So, tonight my husband was home and I made him do the putting the boys to bed all by himself because I was pooped. Guess what....he put them down and NOT ONE PEEP out of them...UGH. I have to do it tomorrow night by myself and I am SO not looking forward to it!