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how to get toddler to sleep in crib instead of on master bed?

  1. #1
    bagel is offline Registered User
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    how to get toddler to sleep in crib instead of on master bed?

    Hello,

    My toddler (26 months) doesn't want to sleep in his crib. I move him to the crib (next to our bed) when he falls asleep at night. But then when he wakes up say 4 hours later or whenever, he cries and starts to come back to our bed. I sleep better when he is in the crib as his shifting around doesn't wake me up as it does when he sleeps on our bed. Any suggestions on how to get him to sleep in the crib?
    Thank you for your wisdom!


  2. #2
    carang's Avatar
    carang is offline Registered User
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    why not get him his own bed? at 26 months, he's getting a little too big for a crib... and yes, he's going to cry for the first little while, especially if he's been sleeping with you for so long.


  3. #3
    thanka2 is offline Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by bagel View Post
    Hello,

    My toddler (26 months) doesn't want to sleep in his crib. I move him to the crib (next to our bed) when he falls asleep at night. But then when he wakes up say 4 hours later or whenever, he cries and starts to come back to our bed. I sleep better when he is in the crib as his shifting around doesn't wake me up as it does when he sleeps on our bed. Any suggestions on how to get him to sleep in the crib?
    Thank you for your wisdom!
    Be persistent. The behavior will correct itself as long as every time he wakes up and tries to get into your bed you walk him (I believe that having the child walk on their own is important--at least it was for us--in that way he is participating in the action and not being "forced"/carried back to the room) back to his room and help him get into bed again. Do just enough to calm him down so that he's not crying. My son is 3-years-old but was doing this sort of thing when he was 2-years-old and sometimes I would lay down with him and say, "Mama is going to cuddle with you for two minutes and then I'm going back to my bed." He learned to accept this.

    If he's able to tell you why he woke up then you can address the problem. (I often ask, "Did you have a bad dream?" or "Are you thirsty?"--both of which tend to be the culprit. If he had a bad dream I can sing with him or pray with him and if he's thirsty, get him a drink).

    I also agree with carang as beds are easier to handle than cribs (and safer when your child is at the age/ability level where he is climbing in and out--a fall from a crib can be pretty bad but if you get a low bed it's not likely he's going to get hurt).

    Every time he gets up (even if it's 10 times a night--and we have literally dealt with this) you have to get up, calmly take his hand and walk him back to his room explaining, "Son, it's bedtime and you need to sleep in your own bed." He will soon learn that his room is the room where he sleeps, not your bed. I'd guess, at the most it might take 2 weeks to develop this habit but with our son it only took a few days.

    There have been times when he was getting out of bed as a way to show his independence and hence, disobey us. So, we dealt with that pretty severely but we only had to deal with it less than 5 times so he got the message.

    Just remember, kids are pretty simple--whatever behavior you allow or reward (with attention--even if it's negative attention) you can expect more of that behavior.

  4. #4
    carang's Avatar
    carang is offline Registered User
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    yes, when either of my kids wakes at night (doesn't happen too often anymore, thank goodness!), i offer to lie down for X minutes. then i get up and go. if they are not asleep yet, i just say, "ok, that's X minutes. good night." **** and off i go back upstairs. they've both become used to that and don't every ask for more time now.


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