What do we do when Emmett wants to check if all the rules around sleep are still the same?
Refer to the Sleep Rules Chart, of course!
Every few months, this little guy wants to check in to see if he can do whatever he wants, aka, boundary testing. There is usually a night or two where Emmett will come out of his room after bedtime routine/being nicely tucked into bed.
During this time, he wants to come out to check and see if he can play all night. We tell him “no” and refer back to his rules chart. We walk him back to his room, with minimal interaction, minimal emotion in our voice, and remind him of his four sleep rules.
When he realizes the rules are still the same, this does not last more than a night or two of “testing”.
Having a Rules Chart around sleep can be helpful if your child is calling out to you in the middle of the night, coming out of their bedroom, or making endless requests (cup of water, put blanket back on, an extra story, 807 extra hugs and kisses, etc.).
-Stick to 3-4 rules and include pictures next to each rule. Too many rules can be overwhelming and they lose their significance. Keep them simple.
-Post the Rule Chart in your child’s bedroom, where they can see it.
This video cracks me up every time! https://www.popsugar.com/family/comedian-video-excuses-kids-make-to-avoid-bedtime-46964457?fbclid=IwAR3izsTeYQQ8YWqcXWp3oTyTeJyIioQhOTDm59LNSSQwmPtZIojhio9x7E4
If you can relate to the video, let’s chat! 🙂
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