So, I've created a bit of a bedtime monster....

[Deleted]

DS had back-to-back bad illnesses in December and January (including a two-week stint of sinus infection/bronchitis in Jan). I was simultaneously sick at the same times, so slept with DS in my bed. Well, DS is still sleeping in my bed 6 weeks later. Prior to that (we transitioned him to a kid bed in October), he slept in his room, not always through the night, but slept in his own room.

What would be your best advice to (gently) transition him back into sleeping in his bed? (FWIW, we do have a bedtime routine to wind him down at night, and he generally falls asleep within the same 30 minute window every night.)

[Kcthepouchh8r]

All the bribes. Ds bed shared until 20 months and I let him pick out big kid bedding, a special toy for his bed. We stuck to the routine and it was easy peasy.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2015 11:41:08 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

All the bribes. Ds bed shared until 20 months and I let him pick out big kid bedding, a special toy for his bed. We stuck to the routine and it was easy peasy.

I've been thinking of letting him go to build-a-bear and buying a special bed stuffed animal because he claims he likes to sleep in my room because he's scared of the dark and I protect him from the monsters... (even though he has two nightlights).

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Mar 13, 2015 11:51:39 GMT -5 @mrsmuq said:

Mar 13, 2015 11:41:08 GMT -5 Kcthepouchh8r said:

All the bribes. Ds bed shared until 20 months and I let him pick out big kid bedding, a special toy for his bed. We stuck to the routine and it was easy peasy.

I've been thinking of letting him go to build-a-bear and buying a special bed stuffed animal because he claims he likes to sleep in my room because he's scared of the dark and I protect him from the monsters... (even though he has two nightlights).

Ah my oldest went through that phase. We got him one of those stuffed animals that project the light show on the ceiling. It helped.

[dizzycooks]

I give my kid a chocolate chip in the morning if she stays in bed. I've created a monster too. Now she won't get up to pee because that's 'getting out of her bed'...Double edge sword I tell you!

[andrewsgal]

Honestly it depends on the kid.

I have one I can bribe and he will do what needs to be done.

I have another I basically have to threaten within an inch of her life to get the message across. Bribes and gentle parenting are a joke to her.

[herephishyphishy]

What about a noise machine or noise app? Maybe with the constant noise he wont lay there and wonder what this noise is or what that noise is making him less afraid. Give him a shirt that you have worn or a pillow you have slept on for a night or two.

Odd story, my husband always moves over and sleeps on my pillow after I get up for work in the mornings because he says it smells like me and feels like Im still there. DS does the same thing with the couch pillow I use in the evenings.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2015 12:23:02 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

I give my kid a chocolate chip in the morning if she stays in bed. I've created a monster too. Now she won't get up to pee because that's 'getting out of her bed'...Double edge sword I tell you!

Shit. I'm doomed. 

[lala]

What has happened so far or what have you tried? We love books on CD for bedtime.

I don't know if this is awful or not, but I bribe my kids with bedtime stuff all the time by saying I'll come back in X minutes and if they're still awake they'll get Y. And then I tell them they were asleep when I went to check - "You guys were sooooo tired!" That helps with some stalling stuff a bit.

My DD1 is like AG's son and can be easily plied.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2015 12:36:52 GMT -5 lala said:

What has happened so far or what have you tried? We love books on CD for bedtime.

I don't know if this is awful or not, but I bribe my kids with bedtime stuff all the time by saying I'll come back in X minutes and if they're still awake they'll get Y. And then I tell them they were asleep when I went to check - "You guys were sooooo tired!" That helps with some stalling stuff a bit.

My DD1 is like AG's son and can be easily plied.

We've tried a noise machine (we still have his white noise giraffe from infancy) - that didn't work unless he was drop-dead tired.

We've tried staying with him until he falls asleep.

We've tried the Ferber method (which doesn't seem to work too well with toddlers....).

We've tried adding nightlights and having a special "spray" to get monsters out from under the bed (basically water with lavendar essential oil).

We've tried letting him sleep with something I wore to bed (usually a t-shirt, or my pillowcase).

We have not tried any of these things together. We also have not attempted bribery (yet).

[NandaB]

I dont have much helpful advice, because I've been pretty lucky with G, but I absolutely dont humor "afraid of monsters" we dont need special spray/lights/chants /whatever for something that isn't real. If he told me he was afraid of monsters I would remind him they were just pretend and move on.

[dizzycooks]

Yeah we had a two week stint of monsters and it was NOT cool. We don't have monsters. Daddy laughed them all out of the room, they were incredibly silly and did not belong in our house. That was a one time deal, they are gone and do not come back. Ever.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2015 12:35:30 GMT -5 herephishyphishy said:

What about a noise machine or noise app? Maybe with the constant noise he wont lay there and wonder what this noise is or what that noise is making him less afraid. Give him a shirt that you have worn or a pillow you have slept on for a night or two.

Odd story, my husband always moves over and sleeps on my pillow after I get up for work in the mornings because he says it smells like me and feels like Im still there. DS does the same thing with the couch pillow I use in the evenings.

I do that with dh's pillow when he's at work.