Author Topic: How many of you let your lo's in their room with books on their own at night?  (Read 1023 times)

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Offline my3girlsjde

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I'm talking about my big girls. They'll be 4 in March. We've just had several big transitions for them moving across the country and them all having their own rooms. For the most part, the girls are STTN ;D. Been a very long road on that one.

Their day typically starts at 630-700am. Wind-down and bedtime is 630-700pm with them actually going to sleep anywhere between 7 and 8pm. I 'feel' it's their sleep rhythm and don't usually get more than an 11 hour night from them which is fine. But if they're on a drive especially after a playdate, they'll fall asleep and then be up for HOURS at night. I'm typing this at 916pm and D is finally just drifting off. Even if they only have a 10 min nap, it messes them up entirely and they're up forever. They're simply not tired, but keeping them up late isn't fun on anyone as they're pretty wrangy on a good day after supper. They would happily stay in their rooms and read or play with their puzzles. Dh and I've been discussing back and forth whether or not to go ahead with it so we can deal with the odyssey of E's sleep issues. Dh will be going on training come Feb, and if they were in their rooms quietly reading in bed until they're tired it would help my life so much.

Anyone do this? Let your lo's be awake in their room with books so long as they're in bed and quiet? Is it a road I should avoid? Any tips on doing it well? General thoughts?

My thought is to give it a try and see if they can go to sleep on their own without needing a cuddle afterwards. I want to reiterate that there's finally no sleep issues with them except needing me there because they want to stay awake in their beds with books, and I'm policing that so they go to sleep.

TIA

Vicki
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09

Offline Katet

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Not so much at bedtime, But DS2 has been 'reading' in his room since 3yo & proper reading since 4.5yo... he normally falls straight to sleep, but with DS1 there was a time we let him. I think if it works for you do it, but set a time that you turn the light out - get them a clock & show them the numbers, if you don't already... both my boys could read clocks before they were 4yo.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline *jazzberry*

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DS1 has done this for about a year. Sometimes it's "reading", sometimes it's building a lego garage for his cars, as long as it's quiet I don't mind. He goes to bed at 7pm and gets up around 7am, I figure he is usually asleep by 8pm (so like yours) but like you say it makes my life a lot easier. Setting a clock is a good idea but you may find they just wind down naturally and go to sleep when they need to.

Offline skatty

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How about a story CD so they will hopefully drift off? I am just thinking of my spirited dd, I think she would "read" her book aloud for her toys and sit chattering away in bed and just become OS! Are the girls in the same room, I guess your girls may talk to each other too  :P
Katt






Offline anna*

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Stan is allowed to 'read' to his rabbit after I've done stories. He is allowed 10 mins but tbh he has usually turned off his light himself before I go back.





Offline my3girlsjde

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I think I'll give it a try with the stipulation that they have to stay in their beds. If they were allowed up, they would def get OS.

They have their own rooms now - best decision ever! I have caught D climbing her headboard when I was in with J, and I wonder if it would help her settle if she knows she HAS to stay in her bed but she's got something to do.

Will try and give an update. Thanks!
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09

Offline Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)

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How about having a bedside lamp on a timer as well, so they are in bed and when the light goes off its time to sleep. They can just drop the book by the bed or under the pillow. Or you could have a small night light as well so they can just about see enough to put the book on the bedside table?

DD has just started reading in bed after official bed time, she goes at 7 and reads for about 5 or 10 mins then I go in, but she has a tiny torch she got from mcd that she keeps under her pillow and she takes it out to read for about 5 min after official lights out :-) she admitted it the other day



Offline my3girlsjde

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Worked like a charm for J ;D. She was reading a few times when I checked on her and then she was sleeping with the books neatly piled on her headboard/bookshelf.

D on the other hand...........well, let's just say it was only one child I had to work with last night. I'll give it another go, but I can say she was at least no worse for it.

Wish I could do lamps but they would become missiles during the day. We FINALLY got them to leave their flippin' night lights alone ::)
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09