How to Convince Your Child to Stay in Bed

Keeping your child in bed is no easy task

Once your child is out of the crib and in a toddler bed they tend not to want to stay in bed. Teaching them early will save you from a lot of problems and headaches in the future. As soon as they learn to do this, and know that you mean business, it should be smooth sailing from here on out.

Instructions

How to Convince Your Child to Stay in Bed

1. Try talking to them and being nice and explain to your child that it is time to go to bed. There are different times to play and do other things but when the clock reaches a certain time it is bedtime or naptime. Some children will grasp this and listen while others won't.

2. Turn off the TV. Most kids like their cartoons and other kid shows before they go to bed. If you threaten to take this away for the night or the next day they will listen.

3. Take one of their favorite toys away for that night and the next day. Most children will be very upset by this. This approach will work on some but not all of them. If they lose one toy, and are still doing this, start taking more toys even if you have to do it until their room is empty. When they start going to sleep, you can slowly start giving them their toys back one by one.

4. Going to the park and even into the back yard the next day will not happen if the child leaves his bed and make sure he understands this. This works great when it's really nice outside. If your child has to sit inside all day, that night he will change his mind because he knows the consequences of getting out of bed.

5. Push back. Kids will push you as far as they can. They want to know their limits, especially at bedtime. If you stay strong and do not give into them at anytime then you will remain in control. After a little while of trying these steps a pattern will start to from and bedtime will get easier every night.

Tips & Warnings

• This will be hard the first night but after a few nights they will start to go to bed on their own.