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My three boys sleep in the same room. They are 6, 7 and 9 years. They are great kids and generally well behaved except from bedtime...
Right now, as usual, they are laughing, giggling, jumping around and talking about minecraft. I usually send the eldest to bed later to get the others to sleep before he goes and causes even more trouble but recently (perhaps due to light nights) this does not work.
Result.. Cranky boys in the morning and teachers moaning about them. My misses does not know what to do either.
Any advice for getting them to shut up and sleep?
Anything in the bedroom?
TV, etc.?
If children aren't tired, especially 3 of them (even 2), they will likely not sleep. Kids have extremely active minds, so trying to turn that off with the flip of a switch doesn't work.
What is the routine? Tell them it's bedtime and send them to their room?
I'd give them a time limit to settle down, then come back and check. 10-15 minutes should work out well.
Even tone, just let them know you'll be back in 10 minutes, and you expect them to be asleep.
Any threats of discipline will likely just make them fake sleep until they know you are clear of their room.
Hmmm. It's a tough one because they share the room they will be encouraging each other!
What time is bedtime and what is the routine in the run up to bedtime? Do they tend to play computer games before bedtime? Do they play out after school?
I think a period of "winding down" before bedtime might help, perhaps reading a book... and a hot chocolate or horlicks can also help to make them sleepy.
Get them outside to play after homework and get some of that energy expended and then perhaps a bath, warm drink and staggered bedtime. Perhaps you could get some blinds up at the window to darken the room further.
...another thought, could you put the youngest to bed in your room and the middle one in their bedroom, transfer the youngest when he's asleep and then the older boy.
A blackout blind to stop the room being light at this time during summer, and then give them a choice - either lights out or they can read quietly. I did this with my children - they are always going to chose to read (because the alternative is to sleep) and you have the double benefit that reading will tire them out and they will gain a love of reading.
Hi There,
As actd has said reading is good, my step son reads a lot before bed, we tell him he has 20-30 mins to read, but he is normally asleep by the time we go up to tell him.
GTTS
The two older kids get given 30 mins quiet time in their bedrooms before 'lights out' not that it always works as you can almost guarantee one will annoy the other at some point. It is hard to control, especially if one believes their bed time should be later etc., however the more it's enforced the better it gets. Summer nights are a pain though, i'm sure we all agree there.
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