Q:
My 32-month-old daughter has never been a great sleeper, but now she refuses to sleep in her room. She will fall asleep anywhere else. She says her bed is too high and bumpy, and that there are monsters in the room (I spray for them). After she got sick, I let her sleep with us. Now I need to get her out of our bed and back into her room.
A:
Unfortunately, there's no way to teach a child to stay in her room without her getting upset. You have two choices. One is to continue giving in to your daughter and have her sleep with you. Or, you can decide to take a stand and have her be upset for several nights.
If you decide to be firm you will need an expandable gate to make sure your daughter cannot walk out of her room into your bedroom. The gate will make her cry, so approximately every five minutes, show up in her doorway, remind her that it's bedtime and put her back into bed. Then put up the gate and walk away, expecting her to get out of bed and protest. Your daughter is used to getting her way at bedtime so she will not believe that you're serious about her staying in her own room. After a few evenings, however, she'll realize that she's a big girl who needs to sleep in her own room.
Kenneth N. Condrell Ph.D Child Psychologist
Our parenting advice is given as suggestions only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider, and urge you to contact them immediately if your question is urgent or about a medical condition.
