Senior Member

Posts: 150
From:washington
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 07-03-2003 02:53 AM            

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this is probly all my fault since we have a family bed and i nursed for about 2 yrs each child ~~on my 4th now~~ the youngest of course would sleep closest to me and the older ones would curl up around me but we would all go to bed together so they had my bedtime, or i guess i had theirs, but now with 4 kids i have more things that i need to get done at night the ten yr old and 7 yr old just recently moved into their own rooms , and my 10 yr old stays up past midnight every night the 7 yr old will fall asleep anywhere when he finally gets tired , i can't get my 3 yr old down at all unless i lay down with him, he has a habit of rubbing my arm while he is going to bed, i would just like to be able to say ~its bedtime~ goodnight ,, and have them go to bed i don't mind the three yr old still sleeping with me but it would be nice if he would go to bed without me having to lay down with him
any suggestions? and what should i do with the baby so i don't have this problem later with him also?
thanks ~yoga

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Senior Veteran

Posts: 667
From:
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 07-03-2003 01:13 PM            

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Well, I've got some bad news for you. The best way to get kids to go to bed early is to start when they are very little, under six months old. I am a very firm believer in schedules and structure. From the time we brought our daughter home from the hospital, she slept in her own bed. By about 6 months, we got her on a really good schedule where I started putting her in her crib awake at about 6:30 p.m. and letting her put herself to sleep. She started sleeping completely through the night until about 6 a.m. At almost 3, she still goes to bed at 7 p.m. and usually falls asleep between 7:15 and 8 and sleeps until 6 a.m. I really don't know what to tell you about your older children, but if I were you I would get the baby on a schedule that you like as soon as possible. What time do you get up in the morning? If you want your children in bed early, that usually requires an early wake-up time as well.

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Senior Member

Posts: 141
From:tx
Registered: May 2002

posted 07-03-2003 04:49 PM            

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I agree with Greenberry, but it is never too late to start. Start with a nightly routine ..i.e. dinner, baths, story, maybe a little tv for the older ones, tuck them into bed and turn out the lights.

As for the 10 yr old and 7 yr old, what are they doing to stay up so late? Lights out is just that, lights out no t.v., no radio, nothing .. they may lay there awake all night but my guess is they will fall asleep shortly after going to bed if there is nothing to do but lay there.

My suggestion for the 3 yr. old, start gradually but make him sleep in his own bed. Maybe lay down with the 3 yr old until he falls asleep then get up and leave the room. Eventually, you can start leaving before he is asleep.

As for the baby, start now making the baby sleep alone. I always rocked my children to sleep then put them in their crib to sleep thru the night and if they did get up in the middle of the night, I never took them to my room, usually rocked them back to sleep in the living room.

My bedroom is just that, MY bedroom. My kids bedrooms are THEIR rooms. That is where we go for privacy and nobody is allowed in our bedrooms without permission from that person. Btw, just as a side note .. how are you working on the fourth with all those kids sleeping with you LOL ... just joking. Good luck to you.

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Senior Member

Posts: 82
From:Not Where You Think I Am!
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 07-03-2003 06:05 PM            

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All 3 of my kids are in bed by 8:00 every night. I can't remember a time when it hasn't been that way! None of ours ever slept with us, so it wasn't that hard to get them on a set schedule. They know that bedtime means bedtime and there will be no playing around. My middle child had a thing where she would tell us 20 times a night that she had to go "potty". She would use anything as an excuse to try to get out of bed, but fortunately, that ended. Now bedtime is just that and my hubby and I get to spend some alone time.

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~ Proud Military Wife & Mother Of 3 Beautiful Children! ~

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Senior Member

Posts: 94
From:
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 07-04-2003 01:17 PM            

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I agree with bedtime routines/schedules. It really helps the kids to understand what is going on, otherwise it could be confusing for them, especially the 3 year old. It is good that they know what is going on, and what to expect. For the older ones, since they have their own rooms, I would suggest starting them out with telling them that they have to be in their rooms by a certain time. Perhaps they could have the option of reading a book if they are not tired. But getting them in their rooms would probably help at least for starters. If you'd like them to go to sleep early, making sure they wake up by a certain time would help as well.

For the three year old try setting up a routine with him, such as brushing teeth, possibly bath, changing, then going to bed. May want to start out by laying down next to him, and slowly transition to sitting in a chair next to him (perhaps get him a large stuffed animal to hug) to transitioning to staying in the room less and less till he doesn't need you to be in the room anymore.

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Senior Member

Posts: 150
From:washington
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 07-06-2003 03:14 AM            

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thanks i never had a problem with them sleeping with me ,we do read stories and they get to play ~boogie man under the covers~ but there just are some nights that i can't be in there when i want them to go to sleep,i think i will give myself a mth ~aug~ to try and get them into a routine for school , the older ones play video games and they do read , i guess i just am not as firm when it comes to actually making them shut down lights and stuff, i will try and gradually work that in ~~wish me luck~~

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