Re: from cot to bed with a holiday in between

[Guest guest]

Kirsten, my DS used to do just this after every holiday: he'd appear on the

stairs and sit there for hours, calling us. My attitude was, fine - let him

go to sleep on the stairs: it feels like a self-curing habit, to me! But DH

wasn't happy about him falling down the stairs in his sleep (not that

Mummy's a hard b*tch, or anything!)

The first time it happened, we ended up putting a baby gate up at his

bedroom door so that, while he can get out of bed as much as he likes, he

can't escape his room. That makes it easier for us to ignore his calling

once we know he doesn't actually *need* anything. I tend to find that a

couple of nights of steely resolve gets us through, and then he goes back to

bed OK.

He's done it again this summer, though, and steely resolve hasn't been

steely enough - not even fortified by glasses of wine and soothing music on

the CD player! But this year, he's very taken with star charts, and is

saving up for 5 stars to get a bob the builder train for his brio set. One

star = one peaceful evening. It's worked a treat for a week, when he was

saving for a fireman's helmet and I reckoned two weeks and two treats and

we'd have it cracked. However, the fireman's helmet was only 3 stars, and

now we're up to 3 for the B the B train and he keeps appearing at his gate

at more or less half hourly intervals and yelling " Mummy!! I hab DONE peace

and quiet, now!! " B the B - can he fix it? Apparently not!

So, try baby gates, and try star charts - but don't aim higher than 3

stars!!

HTH

Vicki Portman

http://www.plushpants.co.uk

>. tonight he went to bed at 6pm as he was very tired

> and asked to go to bed, and finally went to sleep at 9pm after hours

> of asking for wee's, poo's, milk, mummy etc etc etc.

> Anyone got any quick fixes for this? I was ready to start shouting

> tonight, but kept my patience as we have had a grizzly day already.

[Guest guest]

BTDT Kirsten and it's a real pain. Can you try a star chart? I know he's

only little, but the promise of a treat (not necessarily food, but I usually

find it works!!), sometimes helps. In fact, I've found that getting a star

on the chart is major reward in itself - they are *so* proud to get a star!

HTH or you find something that works.

Hannah

-----Original Message-----

From: Kirsten Boustred

Anyone got any quick fixes for this? I was ready to start shouting

tonight, but kept my patience as we have had a grizzly day already.

[Guest guest]

> BUT since we have been home he is calling for

> us every 15mins.

How old is he, Kirsten?

I keep thinking I should move Emilia to a bed soon, but she is so

happy in her cot and although I know she could climb out if she

wanted to, she never does... she'll be 3 in a few weeks time.

Her life is so scary (you know - normal toddler existence - new

things to discover, things that change, arrival of little brother,

best mate moving away, starting nursery...) that I kind of think she

deserves her safe haven.

But it's definitely the 'when we go away' thing - it limits our

optins when we need two cots wherever we go!

Karina

[Guest guest]

Vicki wrote:

But this year, he's very taken with star charts, and is

> saving up for 5 stars to get a bob the builder train for his brio

set>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What a BOB the Builder train?

Where from? How much?

DS3 would love one - he is really into BOB at the moment.

He got some BtheB Duplo yesterday out of the money his godfather gave

him for his birthday (last June but 3rd child!)

Trisha

SAHM to 3 boys

[Guest guest]

Karina wrote:

> DD's cot converts into a bed, so the most sensible solution would

be

> to take the sides off her cot one day. But I'm having visions of a

> terrified, sad toddler thinking I have destroyed her cot - so

haven't

> had the heart to do this... >>>>>>>>

We have a cot bed but it never got used as such by DS1. DS2 and DS3

had it as a bed. It is so low to the floor that it is ideal as a

starter for them.

However DS3 managed to fall out of it last night, badly cutting his

lip and gum. How he did it I have no idea, but he was pretty upset

last night.

He has gone to nursery today and I rang to check he was OK - his key

worker said yes fine. Told her what had happened (DH had not

mentioned it) and she confirmed he really was OK and sat eating Jammy

Dodgers as we spoke.

He is not allowed out of his bedroom at all until we open the door.

Even on a morning he sits in bed reading a book until we open the

door. We have insisted that he goes to bed and stays there. He has

a story, gives us his dummy, refuses his quilt cover. He then

usually has a cry and then we pop back in, give him his dummy and

cuddle him up, and he then stays there until morning when we open his

door.

I think it is worth persisting with any routine you have until it

comes to be the " norm " . It might be a couple of weeks of hell but

then it should be easier. Once you give in then they find out they

can win.

Trisha

SAHM to 3 boys

[Guest guest]

Phoebe was 16 months and Eloisa 17 when they moved out of the cot. Both of them

have loved their toddler bed from word go.. Reason why we moved out that early

was that both of them climbed out of cot and I was not comfortable with this

felt a toddler bed would be a better option..

Lonnie Phoebe & Eloisa's mama

& expecting a Christmas delivery...

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what you

start.

So far today, I have finished 2 bags of chips and a Chocolate cake.

I feel better already.

Re: Re: from cot to bed with a holiday in between

> How old is he, Kirsten?

> I keep thinking I should move Emilia to a bed soon, but she is so

> happy in her cot and although I know she could climb out if she

> wanted to, she never does... she'll be 3 in a few weeks time.

He is 2yrs and 1month. He really is a bit young, but he could climb

out of the cot. The holiday was what decided it for me!

Hope you have more luck than we have had, although generally he has

been very good about it!

It is also a bit sad when they ask for the cot back!:-(

Kirsten

[Guest guest]

> > It is also a bit sad when they ask for the cot back!:-(

Don't you've made me cry. DD! said so plaintively " What little bed back " .

Even though she had a fancy low bunk with a slide.

The cots in DD2's room to be full of boxes so DD1 can not climb into it.

Not sure how she'll react when little sis. out grows the crib which will be

any day now.

I'll probably walk in and find them both asleep in it.

Sue Hutchinson, Mum to 30/01/98 and Isobel (HB) 23/02/01