Had also been wondering about the 2-1 switch affects.
The jack-in-the-box game was, for us, a complete and utter nightmare. Lots of people told me that if I kept laying him back down, he'd get the message. And I think some LOs do. But my DS didn't and it became more of a battle of wills, with him getting more and more upset and frustrated.
So I didn't lay him back down when he stood up unless he was so tired he would fall and hurt himself - and even then, he had to be pretty sleepy to be laid down. While he was standing, I just stayed low on the floor. At first I lay on the floor next to him, then over a few weeks I sat further and further away from his bed. The standing up in the cot rule stayed consistent no matter where I was: he had to choose to lay down, I could only encourage (in a very calm, laid back manner). So. I would pat the mattress where his head should be, maybe pick his lovey up and place it there, gently stroking it to get his attention. I didn't do it constantly; just every few minutes or so. When I was sitting further away, I still did the same - I would crawl forwards so keeping my body as close to mattress height as possible, and pat the mattress. If he lay down, I would slowly and gently stroke his head a few times, praise him for lying down 'good boy etc' and then gradually move away.
TBH, by the time I was sitting a little further away I didn't have to pat the mattress that often. It was a choice that he would make. He would often lie down, look like he'd sleep and then stand up again furious or reaching for a cuddle, but mostly laid back down again when reminded to 'lie down. It's time to sleep'.
Occasionally I would cuddle him while standing through the bars when he was really upset (I avoided picking up as much as poss), and would then pat the bed and encourage him down.
Like pps said, initially I did what I could to comfort him from a low position next to the bed - stroking, my hand, and soothing voice.
When we got to the point where I could put him to bed and leave the room, I stayed outside the door for a few nights with teh door ajar. I'd poke my head around to say the usual words, and be there to reassure trying to use my voice only. My DS seemed to respond to that reassurance quite strongly.
At night, I followed the same approach of settling in his crib where possible. I would give him a hug when I went in over the bars, and then either lay him down (when really dosy) or cuddle through crib bars. I would lie down or curl up next to his crib and settle him with words and stroking, then gradually move away to whereever I had got to at bedtime. In the night, I never left the room until he was asleep and after a few nights that generally didn't take too long. Once he mastered falling asleep without me in the room, I would sit on the other side of the door til he fell asleep for NWs, after settling him first. I kept a douvet and pillow on the landing for a while
.
Does that make sense? That was gradual withdrawl. Took a few weeks for us. But I do wonder if he's already mastered sleep before, whether you might make faster progress than we did.
We had a rough time with the 2-1 switch initially - a monster UT / OT cycle that caused evening wakings, night wakings and early wakings too. It wasn't a great time
but once we got a handle on the routine changes, it really improved.
HTH
Charlotte
