The boys have been in big boy beds for two months and we battle with them to go to sleep and stay in their beds about 95% of the time. Well last week I was having dinner with a mom with 3 1/2 yo triplets and she discovered that unlike most kids the punishment at bedtime is not closing the door, but opening it. When you leave the door open the party stops!
I didn't think it would work with my two. First of all, I thought they are way to young to get this and will run to the gate and yell for us. Boy was I wrong!! The other day at nap they were not staying in bed and not being quiet so I thought, well I have tried everything else I might as well try this. The last time I went in to make them lay down I walked out and left the door open. I stood just outside the door and when the first one got up I leaned around and told them to get back in bed and close their eyes and that it was time to go to sleep. It only took me standing there for about 30 minutes before they were alseep. I didn't stand there the whole time just enough for them to think I was. This is a HUGE improvement over the hour and a half it normally takes. After about 30 minutes Cale was upset about me ruining their party and was crying, so I closed the door and waited. I didn't hear another peep out of them. I won't say it has been a complete success, but out of the 5 times we have used this new technique it as worked 4 times!
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