Help with 2 yr old getting to bed

[echoesofspring]

We converted DS's crib into a toddler bed about a month ago. I would say over all it's been going pretty well, there's only been one night where I've found him asleep on the floor instead of in his bed. But we are really struggling with getting him to calm down and actually go to bed. For example, last night our nighttime story/song routine ended at 7:30, but he wasn't actually asleep until 9pm, and then he woke up at 6:30, which is not enough sleep for him. When he had a crib he would then talk to himself for about 10-20 minutes and fall asleep. Now he gets out of his bed as soon as we leave the room and either stands at the gate at his doorway hollering for us ('one more song'), or plays/wrecks havoc in his room, or taunts our cat who is so affection starved he comes over to the door and meows (we've started putting him outside until DS is asleep). It's sort of amusing to see how he'll keep himself up, but really, he needs his rest.

We tried turning out all the lights in the house and saying we're all going to bed and hanging out in our bedroom. We've tried ignoring him entirely, going about our evening, that worked at first, but now he just stays up. We've tried being stern. I tried doing a reward of a sticker if he stays in bed, but I don't think he understands it yet, he got up immediately. I tried putting music on an old ipod should probably revisit that. We've tried total darkness, we've tried his dreampet like nightlight. He seems to need help turning his brain off, I don't mind working harder on our routine, but I would like to help him ultimately learn to go to bed on his own, he was doing such a good job of it before the transition.

Any suggestions? Anybody had success with the wakeup/stay in bed clocks helping get their kids to bed?

[echoesofspring]

anyone?

[123LuckyMom]

I'm sorry! Once they're out of the crib, it's a constant battle!

We moved DS at 2.5. Here's what helped with him (though he's 4.5 and just last night stayed up late pulling all of his stuffed animals out of his pillow pocket so he could find his monkey backpack and sleep in it. Good times!)

Have a consistent bedtime routine. He should know exactly how many stories, songs, etc. he's going to get, and warn him before the last one that it's the last. Turn out the lights and sit with him in sleepy mode for a while (unless your presence makes it harder for him to settle.) We used a timer. I would stay with him only until the timer went off (and only if he was obeying the rules--see below). Then it was time for me to go. Have a phrase you use as your last bedtime words. Have rules. Ours are that you don't have to go to sleep, but you do have to stay in bed, with lights out, and be quiet. Institute "checks". Tell him you'll come check on him every five minutes if he obeys the rules. If he doesn't follow the rules, you won't come back until he's following them. The checks really helped us! Also we always close DS's door. Always!

Try some of those ideas and then come back with more questions !