Ryan Howard runs Smart Parent Advice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Ryan writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers. Here, he shares some insight with Lifestyle Health Hub…
Once you become a parent, sleep will never be the same. In the beginning, newborns wake up every few hours for feeding. Some infants can be really difficult to put down to sleep as well. After a while, a lot of parents get into a groove. But this phase tends to come to an end sooner or later.
Once you move your child from a crib to a bed with rails, there is a good chance that your little one will realize that they now have the freedom to hop out of bed any time they want. A lot of kids take advantage of this and pop into mom and dad’s room a few times a night.
Just what should you do about this? Read on to find out.
Why are they coming in?
The first thing you need to consider is just why your little one is coming in to visit in the first place. If they are coming in because they are scared, you might get them a night light. If they are coming in because they are cold, help get them tucked in or turn up the heat. If your child is potty training, they might come in to ask for help using the bathroom. This too is something that you can help them with.
On the other hand, a lot of these late night visits are just a way for kids to stall and put off sleep. Or, something they think is a bit of a game. This can get a bit frustrating for tired parents that want to catch up on a few Zzzs.
How should you react?
One key in reacting to your child’s visits is to try your best to remain calm. If you start to get upset, there is a good chance your child will get upset too. This tends not to be very conducive to sleep.
At the same time, you don’t want to be too animated or fun when they come in. If you start to joke around or talk in a funny voice, your child will interpret your actions as though you’re playing a game. This in turn will only make them want to play more.
The best course of action tends to be to calmly walk them back to their room, and help them get back to bed.
A good way to change behavior
Responding the right way when your child comes into your room is all well and good. But, you probably also want to figure out how to get them to stay in bed at night. One of the biggest keys in consistency. If every time your little one comes in, you just walk them back to their room, eventually they will get bored of the game.
Positive reinforcement is another great way to bring about a change in behavior. If your child does stay in bed all night, make sure to offer up a bit of praise the following morning. You might even make them a special breakfast as a reward.
Understanding when to wake up
Staying in bed at night time is one thing, but sleeping in a little in the morning is a whole different story. A lot of kids will wake up at 4am or 5am, and come running into mom and dad’s room brimming with energy. While this might not be as frustrating in the early morning as it is in the middle of the night, it’s not ideal either.
If your child is old enough to read a clock, you can set one up in their room. Then, just let them know that they can only come in at 6am or 7am or whatever time you like.
There are a few different night lights that use colors to kids know when it’s time to get up. You can set them so that they have a white glow at night, but the color turns green when the clock strikes 6:30am. These are great for toddlers that know their colors but might still be years away from telling the time on a clock.
Final thoughts
One thing to keep in mind throughout parenthood is that it tends to go in phases. Just as you start to get used to your child acting one way, they grow a little older, and change things up on you. That’s part of what keeps the whole journey so fun and interesting.
It’s also worth keeping in mind whenever you go through a particularly trying time. When you find yourself feeling exasperated, and you think that you will never get another good night of sleep again, just remember, this too shall pass.
