Kids Getting in Bed With Parents? Get Children to Sleep in Their Own Beds
Kids Getting in Bed With Parents? Get Children to Sleep in Their Own Beds
Got a child who wanders to your bedroom at night? Reclaim your bed, and say goodbye to restlessness.
It may be hard to walk your son back to his room at 3 a.m. when you have work in the morning, but be firm every night. "Think about the long term," Mindell says. "You'll have a few difficult nights, but soon, you'll all be sleeping all night."
Some parents offer sticker charts; others give rewards like extra playtime. Janine Bush created a toy-ticket program to stop her 6-year-old son from sneaking into her bed at 2 a.m. When her son slept consecutive nights in his own bed, he won tickets to trade in for new toys.
Hang a bell on your bedroom doorknob and you'll notice when your child enters. "Say, 'When I hear that bell, it's a reminder that I get to put you back to bed," Mindell says.
Place an inexpensive digital clock by your preschooler's bedside. "Put duct tape over the minutes and talk about the number she'll see in the dark," Obleman says. "Say, 'In our house, nobody gets up before 7. If it's not showing a 7, go back to sleep.'"
Instead of simply telling your child not to get out of bed, teach her how to fall back asleep. "I tell them to stay in bed, close their eyes, and think about something fun, like what they want to do on their birthdays," says Tracey Weil, whose 6-, 8-, and 9-year-olds sleep through the night. "Giving them something to think about is a great tool to help them fall back asleep."
When your daughter is sick or she can't fall asleep after watching a scary movie, you can still comfort her without inviting her into your bed. "A lot of parents forget that they can go to the kid," Mindell says. "You can sleep in her room [on an air mattress]."
Get Your Bed Back
Got a child who wanders to your bedroom at night? Reclaim your bed, and say goodbye to restlessness.
Be Consistent
It may be hard to walk your son back to his room at 3 a.m. when you have work in the morning, but be firm every night. "Think about the long term," Mindell says. "You'll have a few difficult nights, but soon, you'll all be sleeping all night."
Make it Worth Their While
Some parents offer sticker charts; others give rewards like extra playtime. Janine Bush created a toy-ticket program to stop her 6-year-old son from sneaking into her bed at 2 a.m. When her son slept consecutive nights in his own bed, he won tickets to trade in for new toys.
Outsmart Quiet Footsteps
Hang a bell on your bedroom doorknob and you'll notice when your child enters. "Say, 'When I hear that bell, it's a reminder that I get to put you back to bed," Mindell says.
Introduce a Clock
Place an inexpensive digital clock by your preschooler's bedside. "Put duct tape over the minutes and talk about the number she'll see in the dark," Obleman says. "Say, 'In our house, nobody gets up before 7. If it's not showing a 7, go back to sleep.'"
Create a Plan of Action
Instead of simply telling your child not to get out of bed, teach her how to fall back asleep. "I tell them to stay in bed, close their eyes, and think about something fun, like what they want to do on their birthdays," says Tracey Weil, whose 6-, 8-, and 9-year-olds sleep through the night. "Giving them something to think about is a great tool to help them fall back asleep."
Don't Cave in for Special Circumstances
When your daughter is sick or she can't fall asleep after watching a scary movie, you can still comfort her without inviting her into your bed. "A lot of parents forget that they can go to the kid," Mindell says. "You can sleep in her room [on an air mattress]."
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