How do I (can I?) teach spirited monkey boy (26 mo) to stay in bed upon waking?

[Peek-a-boo]

DS is 26 months old and can climb out of his crib (without hurting himself).  After he learned to climb out, we tried converting to a toddler bed, it didn't go great, so we're back in the crib. 

One problem with the toddler bed is that upon waking, he would jump out, turn off his sound machine, bang on the door a few times (he can't open it--for now), and then be running around the room when I came to get him. 

He hadn't climbed out of the crib in the morning, until this morning, when he did the same as he had done with the toddler bed.

So, my question is should I teach him to stay in his bed upon waking?  And, if so, how do I do it? 

Prior to all the climbing/nap skipping wonkiness we're currently experiencing, he normally slept until sometime after 8:00; generally I had to wake him up between 8:00-8:30.  On these mornings he's waking right around 8:00 (7:45 at the earliest). 

If he were waking an hour + early, I'd do wi/wo and keep putting him back in bed, but since it is pretty much his wake up time already, I don't see how to do that.

I know I've read ideas for lights on timers, etc, but was just curious if anyone has successfully used something in a similar situation? 

Or is it perhaps just best to let him get out of bed? 

[Deb_in_oz]

sorry Bethany i don't see the reasoning for keeping him in bed if he is waking close to his normal time. if it was 5am i could understand, but if he wakes at a reasonable time i think it is normal to get up and be active if you have had enough sleep.  if he is disturbing you and you are stil in bed you can explain to him to pay as quietly as possibly - when mine were that age we put a few books in their beds for first thing in the morning plus they had their dolls etc

now at 3 and 4 1/2 they can be up anywhere from 6-7am+ and share a room - they play and sometimes it is quiet for ages and other times it can escalate quickly - i get up when they are noisy enough to prevent sleep (from me)   

[Peek-a-boo]

Thanks Deb.     I'm sort of in a tail spin with his sleep and have lost perspective on everything.  The old  of waking up (that didn't involve his banging on the door) was definitely more relaxing, lol, but that's not really a good reason to turn this into a battle.  Some other mothers had suggested to me that he "should" stay in bed until I came to him and I think I fell prey to that feeling that I was letting him get away with something he shouldn't.

Thank you for the perspective check.   

[RachelC]

{{{hugs}}}} Bethany.  We have the opposite problem    Jalyn will cry until we come and get her (and she's in a toddler bed and can get in/out by herself).  She has a light on a timer but still doesn't budge when it comes on.  Mornings are getting a bit better, but naps are horrible!

Good luck, but I do agree with Deb... I would let him get up (perhaps leave the door open so the banging stops... you can close it at night, but before you go to bed open it a crack so he can get out.).

 

[Layla]

Bethany, I agree love.... don't think about this being a battle you're loosing and that you're letting him get away with too much. Isabella wakes up early.... as early as 5.30am some mornings but she will stay in her room (not necessarily her bed) until her little nightlight comes on. Once its on, she's at the gate calling out for me but before that she'll just read through some books, which I leave for her on her side drawer. So maybe you could leave some things for him... a sippy cup of water with a few books so he can flip through them . I like the idea of leaving the door adjar.... so give that a go so the banging stops 

I didn't think the nightlight on timer would work but it did so you could also give that a go .

[Peek-a-boo]

Thank you so much for the ideas and perspective.    
 
I'll try leaving some things for him to do in the morning and, if the wakings get earlier, I'll get a timer for his light.

  However, given that we both need to start our day around 8:00 anyhow, I definitely think I was turning his getting out of bed into a problem in my mind, when in reality what he's doing isn't a problem at all.     Silly me, lol, I have quite enough actual problems atm without manufacturing them unnecessarily.   

[Deb_in_oz]

glad to give you some perspective - i wonder if those other moms were just jealous he sleeps so late and felt the need to undermine you and give you a problem where there was none!