Need Help with My 3 Year Old Who Constantly Gets Out of Her Bed.

Hi J., we moved my daughter into a big girl bed at her 2 year birthday out of necessity, not because we wanted to. Because of her young age, she was constantly coming out of her room the entire night. My method of resolving that might not be considered conventional, but it worked for us. We just put the door knob handle thingies on her door so she couldn't get out. She takes awhile to fall asleep, also, and would go and bother her older brother if she wanted to play. I still leave a monitor in her bedroom so I can hear if she needs me. It's funny because in the mornings, she'll turn off her nightlight and her fan and then knock on the door when she's ready to come out. It has saved me a lot of worry at night wondering what she might get into and we all get more sleep. I've also heard of parents turning the door knobs around so the lock is on the outside. Just make sure you keep a key on the inside door ledge so you don't get inadvertantly locked in! A baby gate would not have worked for us as my daughter is a climber and would just climb right over it. Try whatever works for you and your family. Good luck to you!

She loves her sister and that is sweet. Have you tried taking away naps and putting her to bed earlier? Do you have a good bedtime routine? She just went through some big changes, a new home and a new bed, make sure you implement structure into this new chaos. When you start to notice she is getting cranky, tell her it's time for a bath. Let her play in the tub, read a bath or bedtime book, or blow bubbles. Then brush your teeth together. Cuddle a little and tell her it's time for bed. Lay her down and give her her favortie bedtime lovey. Make it a nightly thing. Putting in a baby gate wouldn't hurt if she continues to get up and evenutally you will be able to take it down because she will learn that she has to stay in her room when you tell her it's time for bed. Good luck

Our son is almost 5 and hasn't napped since he was 3. Both him and our 1 year old sleep at 7:30pm and get up at 6:30pm. Our 1 year old naps 1 nap sometime between 11:30 and 1:30pm. It's been great!

We had a similar situation with our 3 y.o. after we had our second baby. The 3 year old fought naps and if she did actually sleep, we couldn't get her settled at night until about 10pm. I desperately wanted to keep her napping because I needed it (I had a 2 month old at the time). My pediatrician told me that most kids stop routine naps at age 3. What I do now is have my daughter rest for 30-45 minutes each afternoon in my room (or hers depending where baby is napping). I read a couple books and then leave and set a timer. She lies there and reads until timer goes off. Now she is going to sleep between 8:30-9pm each night. Usually she falls asleep on her own, but sometimes I sit in the hallway outside her room (with her door open) and read a magazines until she falls asleep. She's usually asleep in 5-10 minutes. I discourage the use of baby gates for this because it is only containing her, not training her. Remember this is only a stage that all of you will get through. She is obviously crying out for more attention and yes, it's OK to give her that attention to cultivate a sense of security for her. Best wishes! R. (Married midwife mom now SAHM of 2)