Getting 3 Year Old Out of My Bed!!

Tell her that Mommy needs some sleep to help the baby to be happy when she is born. Tell her that you love her and want her to be happy about staying in her room. If she can stay in her bed/ room until it gets light outside, she will get a special privilege (go to the park, etc.) And the baby will be happier when she is born (if she's not happy when she's born, then you tell her sister that she - the baby - can't help being sick - it's not her fault). Good luck!

baby gate your bedroom so she can't get in or put a baby gate across her room to keep her in there. She will probably throw a fit a few times but in the long run, she will eventually get used to being in her own room. I never had that problem because I never let my kids sleep in my bed with me on a regular basis. from about 3 weeks on they slept either in a crib in my room or in their own room. lots of people have problems with the fact I do it that way, but then they come back with the same question you have. best way to avoid this problem, don't let the child get to comfy in your bed to begin with. This is an issue my Husband and I are having now as I am expecting in June and he thinks she will sleep in our bed....His first my fourth...any way, like I said she may not like it at first but eventually she will come to learn that that is where she needs to sleep and she will start to sleep in her own room without trouble.

I had the same problem with my daughter. She would not go to bed and if she did she ended up in our bed within 1 to 2 hours. I know that she hated the gate in her room, so when I was desperate, I just told her that if she keeps coming back to my room I`m just going to put the gate up and that did the trick. I also checked on her frequently and told her she can come to mommy`s bed in the morning and that had been working for months now. I hope that helps.

Good luck,
T.

Close your door and make sure she has a night light in her room- I had this problem with a boyfriend who had a 4 year old, and she continued sleeping in the same bed with us even when she was 5........ She would throw a fit and cry for hours and he would always get up and let her get her crawl into bed with us.... Finally he listened to me when I told him she will always be sleeping in our bed if he doesn't just let her cry it out, and sure enough once he didn't give in to her crys she started sleeping in her own bed and we would praise her when she did... sometimes tough love is the way to go when all else fails... Now I have one on the way, so lets see if I can apply what I'm saying to my own little girl someday!

My kids from day one have always slept in their own beds, in their own rooms and have slept for 12 hours at a time. I never rocked them to sleep or anything else, I laid them down while they were awake and they learned to put themselves to sleep. I was very lucky. That being said, with both my kids, when they got to be about 4, they wanted to sleep with us. Since I am an extreme light sleeper, I would let the kids sleep in our room, but on the floor next to my side of the bed. They would bring in their blanket and pillow and just say down there and sleep. It was not the most comfortable for them and they would most nights stay in their own bed. They are 3 years apart, so by the time my youngest wanted to do this, my oldest had already been thru it and was sleeping only in her bed. Maybe you could try this. Tell her she can sleep in your room but must sleep on the floor since you need to get your sleep to get ready for the new baby coming. DO NOT make it too comfortable for her, let her bring a blanket and pillow (we have all tile and that didn't stop the kids!). I am one to pick my battles so I figured that was a good compromise and worked out well for us. They would go weeks at a time and not come in at all and then maybe for a straight week, come in every night and sometimes just now and then. But it wasn't a big deal since they didn't wake us up and were still close by, which made them feel better. My kids are now 9 and 6 and have not done this for years. I hope you find something that works for you! Our sleep is precious to us and we need as much as possible (and the kids too)! Good luck!

Put a baby gate up between her room/yours, put a baby gate in her doorway, change the locks around on her door. You're the boss....be firm and consistent.

Best,
C.

I had to bribe my daughter out of our bed. If they slept in their bed all night they got a treat in the morning. And for us no matter how tired we were we had to put her back in her bed in the middle of the night or she will keep sleeping in it. sometimes she makes excuses like shes scared and we tell her to turn on the nightlight and go back to bed. we try not to entertain her excuses too much. Good luck it will happen.

This works with my kids. We tell tehm they can come in whenever they think they need to, but they have to sleep on a pallet on the floor. For my kids we keed blankets where they can reach, close to the bedroom, and they know to put one on the floor and get one to cover up with. The girls have both been doing this since they were three. You could also just have a pallet ready. It seems to dwindle down, they still get to come in but they are not interfereing as much with your sleep. Good luck to you!

You are not alone - My 4 year old has snuck into our bed on and off for the past year. It started when I was pregnant with her brother. She felt left out, being in her bed alone, while Mommy, Daddy and new baby brother were all sleeping in the same bed. We made the decision to let her sleep with us during that time, but made it clear that when he started sleeping in his own bed, she would have to also. That worked, for a while. We have tried all the suggestions you've received and we haven't found one that works. She will sleep in her own bed for several weeks with no problem and then she starts sneaks in our bed every night. Let me add that we don't have a problem putting her to bed in her room, she has always been a great sleeper and she puts herself down for naps. I think there is no right or wrong answer here, it's whatever you feel comfortable doing. If you need sleep, you need to get your husband involved. Good luck!

I've watched of a lot of super nannny episodes and it seems the only way to get it to work is to continue to take them back to their bed, even if they cry. You just take them back each time but don't talk to them. Explain the first time what you are doing and after that don't talk, just take them back. It worked for us after a few long nights. I think it took about an hour and a half the first couple of nights. I know it's hard but it works. BUT on the other hand, my husband believes they will not be this age for long and they will sleep in their beds soon enough for the rest of their lives. Good luck.

We told our son he isn't allowed to come to our bed till the sun comes up in the morning. That worked for us & so now he usually comes ____@____.com I like the other ideas the ladies gave w/the blankets on the floor. My son sleeps so wild in bed w/me & my husband. I think I will need to try that! =)

Best of Luck!

What about that wonderful husband of yours? This is a special time for you and you need your sleep, even a hard working husband needs to pitch in during sleep hours when you are too pregnant to be carrying a child to bed. I totally support the taking them back time and again, and the blanket on the floor methods. Do whatever is best for you right now, but just remember if you choose to take them back you must do that everytime they wake you. If you wake in the morning to find them next to you don't sweat it, you still got your sleep and they learn if I really want to be hear I have to make sure I don't wake anyone in the process.
Like many moms have said this is something that will pass, but make sure your hubby helps if he's there. My husband worked nights for years and I would wake to a child next to me. I was worried this would become a problem the nights my husband was home, but if they woke us they were back in bed.
Good luck with the new little one. Let big sister have "important" jobs to help with the baby. She will love being Mommy's big helper!

Always reward the behavior you want to continue. It is amazing how we reward bad behavior without even realizing it. Put up a chart and put stickers or whatever on the chart for everyday that your daughter sleeps in her own bed all night. Then when she has made it a few days, give her a nice reward (day at the park with mom, e.g.) When she has made it a longer period, give a bigger reward (going with mom for ice cream or to McDonald's, e.g.) Each time, give a bigger reward (zoo, museum, etc.) Because she is a momma's girl, she will like the rewards to be time with you and you can remind her that you want her to get the reward because you want to spend time with her!

Here's what we did. My little guy loved the movie CARS. I found some wall clings up at Lowes. Every night that he stayed in his bed, the following morning we would put up one cling of his choice. It worked most nights... he's kind of outgrown sneaking in at night, he still does on occassion but I can usually take him to the bathroom and then put him back into his bed with no problems. Best wishes to you.

My daughter started doing that at 4. She goes to bed just fine. She has a nightlight in her room & he have done most of what was suggested. We ended up making a little bed with a folded up comforter on the floor next to ours (or try a sleeping bag). We told her she could sleep there as long as she slept there (& not in bed with us) & didn't wake us up. A year later, she's still in her little bed many mornings, but we sleep thru & are not bothered. Ya know - maybe we are rewarding bad behavior, but I'd rather sleep. So I agree it's all about what you're comfortable with. It could be loneliness - does she sleep in the same room with the 6 yr old? If not - you could try that before you try the "little bed". Good Luck with whatever you choose.

When my kids were little they knew that if they woke from a nightmare or woke in the night and wanted to be near mom....

There was a spot to lay down on the floor on my side of the bed.

That was the best thing I could do for them and hubby.

They walked in the room lay down and would feel safe to sleep the rest of the night.

My kids are now 15, 15, 12 and 9 and no longer need that space in my room.

It has been this way now for about 2-3 years.

This sounds a little mean compared to the other requests, but have you thought of putting up a baby gate in her doorway at night? I guess it depends on if she wakes up to go to the bathroom or not, but it is a way that she can open the door, call if she really needs you, but still has to stay in her room (allowing that she doesn't climb over it). My sister tried this with her son (at about 2-3 years old) who were waking up at 5:30 am and coming into her room, ready to start their day. I think it worked for her.