Gro-clock/lights on timer: success stories and support here! #2

[Gecko2014]

Hi!

I'm just popping in to offer some support. I'm being a bit slack and not reading the whole post because I've just got my LO to sleep and a million job to do before he springs to life again.

I just wanted to say that I have the gro-clock - 2 in fact - and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. We started my DS1 with his at around 18 months and it has been a lifesaver. He is almost 4 and still waits for the sun to get up most days (and knows that he's broken the 'rules' if he doesn't). My DS2 has it in his room as a night light and I can't wait until he's old enough to learn about it.

[cath~]

Thanks for joining the thread Gecko

We're in a similar situation here too actually.  Dd1 (nearly 5) still has hers and it works perfectly :

Dd2 is 18 mo tomorrow (where is the time going?!) and I'm planning on buying her a clock v soon too.  She's having some EW due to canines ATM though, so I might wait until I'm sure it's not teething before starting with the clock.

[Gecko2014]

I thought 18 months was going to bit a bit early - and it was for all features - but for the basics, it was perfect and I think set us up with the habit before 2 year old stuff started. At the start I spent a lot of time in the cot in the morning, any time from 5am, until the time our sun was set to and then did the big charade about getting up. We also put the awake time up gradually. This having been said, I would have ideally gone for 7am but once we got to 6:30 I didn't feel that I could push it further with DS1. We've all learnt to live with 630.

I've had some friends try it with kids who are a bit older and the success has been more mixed.

[cath~]

Hi everyone,

I've just ordered H a gro clock so it should be here later this week.  I'm just deliberating when to start using it though and it'd be great if some one could help me think this through..

She is teething pretty badly atm (canines) so we're getting EWs, although I fear they are also becoming partly habit since even with meds she doesn't resettle   She's getting OT and grumpy as a consequence.

I'm just wondering has anyone tried introducing a gro clock while their LO is teething?  I was thinking of doing it v gently, so only set it for say 10 mins after her EW time ATM and then only move it on once it seems to be helping.  I always try to resettle her anyway so I can't think there'd be any harm in trying with a clock iyswim?  At the moment she just asks for milk and cries a bit until she gets it (of course I'm with her trying to resettle her, not leaving her) and never actually goes back to sleep.  From her PoV it probably seems like if she keeps asking I will eventually start the day and bf her, although in fact I'm actually waiting for a "reasonable" time and hoping she'll nod off again before then!  With a clock though - if she knows the sun isn't up yet she might make more of an effort to wait/sleep until the sun is up, rather than keep asking until I feed her..

What do you think?  Just trying to get this sorted in my head..  Or dyt I should wait until the canines are through (which could be a few weeks or more - she is a slow teether!) before starting?

[barbaraz78]

I would try Cath. It sounds a good plan. It can help her to understand why at a certain point you start the day even if she is not back asleep.

[clazzat]

I would try it, even if just to get her used to the idea that the day hasn't started even if she is not going back to sleep. It was a very long time before x started going back to sleep but he cottoned on to the concept of the lights pretty quickly. I put a mattress in his room so I would lie there and keep repeating that we don't get u until the light comes on and then make a big fuss about it being morning when the light came on.

[cath~]

thanks guys

yeah I think I will give it a go.  I think it's arriving tomorrow

[Tweakster]

Haven't read all the pages and pages but we started Gro-clock at 18 mths and he's now 6.5yo and just told me this morning that he's been stacking up books in his room to get up and turn the clock on lol  so we may be coming to the end but it doesn't really matter as he can do his own thing in the morning now anyway.

Best investment ever! 

[cath~]

Five years of peaceful mornings is well worth it!

Maybe you can encourage him to get up and make you a cup of tea/coffee and/or breakfast now?

Dd1 is still going strong with hers at nearly 5 yo.

[*Ali*]

Mine are 5.9 and 4yo and can read the time now but the Groclock is still working great. Sometimes they just roll over and go back to sleep if The sun isn't out yet and sometimes they get up and play in their room with bricks or books. They only call us before the sun if they are desperate for the loo and even then they go back to their room until the sun come up.

[jessmum46]

We have one too for B (thanks Becky!) but it's just set up as a clock in his room right now. I'm sure he's too young at 15m but am thinking of just getting going with the sun regardless. I spend a lot of mornings convincing him to be quiet until 6 anyway so nothing to be lost!

[KatyBee]

I see that no one has posted here for a while but I am not sure I can get the Gro-Clock to work for us & would love some feedback on using it.

My son (27mo) wakes at a different time every day and calls for me until I go in to him...he is LSN and once awake is WIDE awake... he always wants me as soon as he is awake, he is not one of those babies that self entertains in the mornings (which my nephews do!) and I don't ever leave him if he's upset, which he often is in the morning, so I don't see how to implement the Gro-Clock?

When we used it for a couple of weeks in the summer and if he woke early I just ended up in bed (awake) with him until the sun came up or if still asleep it lit his room up and woke him up on the rare days he might have slept in  or it just meant he had enough light to see to get out of bed and come into our room! I didn't exactly love any of these effects so stopped using it.....

Am I doing it wrong? Do you think it could work for us?

[*Ali*]

I'd just tell him it is still night time and do what you would do if he ever woke at midnight and called you.  I'd say he has to go back to sleep, tuck him in and kiss him goodnight and leave. If he calls you back I'd do walk in walk out until the sun comes up. Don't set it too late so he isn't waiting too long for it.

I assume he is an independent sleeper? Or are you there when he falls asleep for BT? If he isn't then IS is the first thing to tackle 

It's also worth considering if his routine needs a tweak because if he is UT when he wakes early a gro-clock will not make him sleep more than he needs.

[KatyBee]

Ok Ali - thanks for the response. From what you have explained, you have pretty much answered my question with regards to whether it will work for us - and that answer is no To be fair his wake up has mostly shifted a bit later since he dropped the nap recently - so we'll just take that and be grateful we have escaped the 5:30am trap at last I think!

[*Ali*]

If anyone is looking to buy a gro clock, they are half price (£14.50) on Amazon.co.uk today.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002APJCNE?ref_=gbps_img_s-3_3127_91be0850&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE