How to get dd to stay in her room for bedtime?

darlene'smommy

Once dd learned to climb out of the crib we moved her to a twin bed and put a gate on her door.  Well she now climbs the gate and gets out.  I am getting tired of fighting with her at nap and bed.  I can tell she still needs a nap because she is horible untill bed time if I dont give her a nap (hitting, talking back wont listen) and she needs to go to bad as well.  Someone told me to put a baby door lock on her door and close the door but she has never had her door closed at bed time.  How do I keep her in her room.  Tonight I did close the door to see if she gets the message its bed time.  I will open it in a few mins.  I am just tired of this every day for the last few weeks.  I have broken down and started letting a movie play but that does not even work anymore.  Any ideas

 

tia

CubbyMama

We put up a string of butterfly lights (LED lights, so they don't get hot or anything) in her room and told her they can be her "special nightlight" only for when she stays in her bed. This worked for about 2 nights, and then she tested it and freaked out when we gently but firmly informed her that the lights had to be turned off for that night, but we'd try again the next night.  (She still gets a regular night light if not the butterflies--we don't make her sleep in pitch dark as punishment or anything!)  Would a special night light or something similar work?

I'll warn you that K still tests us every once in a while, and if we decide to be nice and let her get away with a warning/reminder...it's ON from then on.  She'll get up several times over the next few nights until we finally follow through and turn them off (now I have to take them with me, or she'll just go plug them in again after I leave), at which time she has a colossal fit and wakes up the baby.  It's bad times for all, and our own fault for not being consistent!

darlene'smommy

I may try that.  We did get her a clock for christmas that puts the moon or planets on her wall so maybe I will open it early and tell her the only way for the moon to stay on only if she stays in bed.  She has a dimmer on her light in her room and we dim it all the way down so you can still see in her room but its still kind of dark.  The moon and planets will still show if the dimmer is turned down where we keep it so maybe that will work.

 Thank you

JOEBunny

DD watches a Cartoon while we get dressed in the morning.  No bed, no cartoon.  She got that pretty well.

MrsCorms812

DS tries this a lot too.  We used to have miserable bed times and now we do this.

Everytime he gets out of bed we go in lay him back down and say "I love you, Good Night" and walk out.  If he is touching something we take it out of the room.  We just keep doing this and it gets the point across.  He isn't getting any extra attention just put back in bed.  It took a lot of times at first, but then they catch on that they aren't going to get anywhere but put back in bed!  Just stick to your guns and don't let DC pull you in.  Stay calm and keep saying "I love you, Good Night"  It will be hard-especially if you tend to be a softie like me!

Good luck-bedtime can be stressfull!