the swtich to toddler beds

My kiddos always went to sleep on their own after a book...up until they climbed out of their cribs and
we swtiched them to toddler beds.
Going and staying in bed has not been such a bad issue, but they wake up at 4:30 am
and want nothing to do with going back to bed. I put a gate and they were screaming their lungs
out (they share a room), after I went in, they went back to bed but every time I tried to leave
they would get up crying.
And naps? Have not napped since we switched a few days ago, unless they are in the car, so it
is obvious they still need to nap. How do I keep them in there for naps? Use the gate and
let them scream? Like for nap time, I used to just put them in their crib and walk out and
after 10 min or so talking they would go to sleep...not happening now!
Help!
Can I really expect them to lay in bed for naps in the same room when they are not as tired as they are at night?

 

When I had switched to toddler beds this summer, yes I had a gate outside their door. But you could also just lock them in their room. (Turn the door knob so that you lock it on the outside).

good luck! I couldn't handle them not napping or going to bed easily so I went back to cribs. I'm not looking forward to switching, but am hoping (maybe) they will be more mature when I try in a month or three!

 

We reversed the lock on the door. It's worked well so far. I am sure my DD would climb right over a baby gate.

 

Have you tried crib tents? Some swear by them, I have no experience with that.
My two still in cribs and I will do anything to try to keep them there till college

 

We switched to bed earlier than you did, in their second year. I think it's easier the earlier you do it. But, yes, we gated them in their room. At first we had to put a pinch gaurd on the door so they wouldn't hurt themselves, but after they knew not to close the door on their own, I started to close the door during naps especially.

 

We switched DD to a toddler bed at 19 months and DS a month before he turned 3, they both have latch locks outside of their doors. We never had to use the lock for DD (she was our climber but not our wanderer) and we have to use the latch lock for DS because he is our wanderer. I would have tried gates too but we couldn't find gates that would work best for us and we feared that DD would climb over it.

 

I used crib tents for all three of mine and loved them. I did switch them all over to twin beds before 3 yrs old though (my daughters I think around 28/29 mths and my son maybe 26mths). I did not use gates nor did I have locks on the doors (neither one of my kids bedrooms have locks on them). I did shut their doors like I have always done.
For naps I would go in every time I heard them getting out of bed and was very strict in the beginning of no talking (after they were good for a month or more I did lighten up a little on the rules). If for some reason one was bothering they other really badly I would put one girl in my room and the other slept in her own bed for naps (they share a room). For night I was also very strict with no talking in the beginning and when they woke up they were not aloud to get out of bed until I came in to get them. I did let them have one toy, their favorite blanket and a couple of stuffed animals in their bed so if they woke up early they could play a little. But if it was to early I would let them know and re tuck them in. All three of my kids usually get up early (especially my son and one daughter) so they know to be quiet until I open their bedroom door. It did take a while for naps to be regular again and for bedtimes to go smoothly (about 2-3wks for naps and bedtime maybe 3-4wks). The early morning rising wasn't as early as you have it mine usually got up around 6 or sometimes earlier now my girls will sleep until almost 7, but my son I am having problems with he has been waking up before 6 lately but he stays in bed making some noise. I am usually awake anyway but I will go in once to let him know it's not time to get up yet and cover him back up (he will usually look out his window or play with his blankies until I let him out at 7.

 

I know some people on this board that stayed in the room until their kids went to sleep. If the child gets out of bed, just put them back in without any talking. You might try that.

When mine first were in beds, I was very strict about going to bed and staying in bed. We had a gate on the door because we were doing construction on our bathroom and it wasn't safe for them to wander. If they were goofing around and got out of bed, they got a time out. They learned quickly that DH and I meant business.

Even now its the same. Yesterday one of my DDs woke up at 4am to go to the bathroom. Afterward she came to my bed and said she couldn't go back to sleep. I put her back to bed once and then the second time she got out of bed, I warned her that she needed to settle down and think happy thoughts to go to sleep or else she'd get a TO and then go back to bed. She went back to sleep.

In this case a TO isn't punishment as much as removing them from the situation, and giving them time to calm down (and if they are upset and crying, time to tire them out!).

 

I honestly never thought of switching the door knobs around... we put one of those door knob covers on the inside so they couldn't open it. (Hailey would have crawled over it.) So far they haven't figured it out...

 

We just had a major breakthrough on this topic in the past week!!!! I made a little photo book, just photos printed out of the my printer and put in a three ring binder. The photos are of our bedtime routine, their bedroom and cribs, and then of my doing things around the house such as laundry and dishes and letting the dogs out. The point of the book was to show them what happens around the house after they go to sleep so they could visualize what I was doing while they are going to sleep. IT worked like a charm.

I did still have to use a few less happy measures such as turning off the breaker in their room so that they could not turn the light back on, put a hook on the outside of the door so i could close it if they were out of their beds, etc.. More on that below.



We have a gate in the door and a little eye hook on the outside of the door. IF they are quiet and in their beds I will leave the door open (but the gate is still in the door). If they are screaming or up out of their cribs, I will close the door. I tell them that I have work to do such as laundry and dishes, etc.. while they are in bed. I stayed outside their room folding laundry for the first night but then was able to venture away. I tell them that I cant do my work if they are crying and that they might wake up their sister, so it needs to be closed.

Three nights now and it is all falling in place. The book did wonders!!

 

When we switched the boys at their second birthday, I rigged the crib tents to fit on their toddler beds so they would stay put. We took those off when the boys were about 27 months and now they stay in their bed without an issue. Neither of them wanders so I can't tell you the last time I even put the gate up in their doorway, but I have to pull the chain for the light on the ceiling fan or else they play with the light switch. The hardest thing at naptime is them falling asleep. Sometimes they do fine after talking for a few minutes, other times I have to sit in their room. Even when I don't sit in their room I often lay in the hallway for 15 or 20 minutes and do a crossword puzzle or read while they fall asleep, that way I am right there if issues arise. It's good for me to take a few minutes to just do nothing by myself sometimes too.