This morning I had a great idea. Or so it seemed at the time. I'm testing the idea and should have results by the end of the week.
If you have read this blog regularly, you know that bedtime is a struggle at our house. Sometimes he just isn't tired, but most times he goes to bed fine, then starts screaming sometime in the night. It's getting out of hand, happening earlier and more frequently each night.
Since the sticker chart was such a hit with Jonah for going potty, I thought I'd try making a GOODnight sticker chart for him. We went to Michael's (dangerous store, people) and got some fancy stickers.
Near the front of the store by the registers Michael's had a display of some really big, really enticing coloring books. Jonah wanted them right away, so on impulse I bought one and deemed it the reward for filling the chart.
We've had a routine in place for a while now, where I tell him I'll come back and check on him in a while. That usually calms him enough to get to sleep. I thought it was good enough, but this week, he's been screaming for me again. (after about 40 minutes of being in bed). Anyway, the checking on him...I would go back before I headed to bed and I'd leave his door open after checking. SO...the deal is, if his door is closed NO FUSSING. If he can avoid fussing while his door is closed, he earns a sticker in the morning. Once he fills his chart (30 stickers) he will get to have the coloring book.
I hope he "gets" it. I hope and pray that this works.
I sat down to type this after putting him in bed. So far, so good. I've been typing in silence!
Hmmm... maybe I need to do something like this with Maddie. We go through seasons, but lately, bedtime has been rough.
ReplyDeleteI feel that pain. Good luck. I sure hope you find something that works permanently. Parenting can be very tricky!! :)
DeleteLast night, after I'd gone to bed (and his door had been opened) we heard a {BUMP} on the monitor. I knew he'd bumped his head, and yes, he cried. It started to escalate and I thought, oh no, here we go again. I went in there and found him sitting up. All I had to do was pat his back and he laid right back down. I told him to go back to sleep and he said "ok." It was a HUGE victory. I firmly believe that any other time, he would have cried and cried. He gets nearly giddy to go to bed at the idea of earning a sticker. It probably wouldn't work for every kid in the world but (for now) it seems to be working for us. PRAISE THE LORD!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!!! Sticker charts are HUGE for Sara Beth. Currently, she is working on a Good Morning chart--where she gets a smiley for every cheerful morning of waking up. After 5 in a row, she gets a Route 44 Slush (her idea).
ReplyDeleteYou gotta do what you gotta do! I made a bunch of cool sticker charts for Lope when she was potty training and had really good prizes once it was completed. It was like Christmas all summer! Great idea, Amy. Bed time is just rough! We're doing okay right now, but there have been times where we ...dreaded... the night. lol.
ReplyDelete