BEHAVIOR MILESTONES: Staying in Bed at Night

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You finally get your child to bed and you are officially “off duty.” So you think. Within minutes, your child calls for you, pops out of bed, asks for endless things and begs to sleep in your bed. This may have been okay when they were tiny but now that they are getting bigger, they need to learn to stay in their own bed the whole night. But how?

​Kudo Banz is a great tool to help your child learn to stay in his/her bed. The key is to give your child a lot of encouragement and positive reinforcement. This is where Kudo Banz amazing. It is so easy for parents and so much fun for kids to earn Kudos. It is hard to break a bad habit so in the beginning a lot of Kudos will be needed. After awhile it will become routine and you can ease off the positive reinforcement. Below are some suggested steps to ramp up getting kids to stay in bed the entire night.

KUDO STEP SUGGESTIONS:

  • No asking for anything after goodnight kiss/hug
  • Stay in bed for 10 minutes (Mommy/Daddy will come check on you after 10 minutes. Repeat until asleep. Increase minutes each day.)
  • Falling asleep without getting out of bed (no check-ups)
  • Only getting out of bed 1 time during night
  • Going back to own bed during night without complaint
  • Staying in bed until sun comes up
  • Staying in bed until wake-up time (an OK to Wake! Clock may be helpful)

PARENTING TIPS

Make a Plan Together: Involve kids in developing a stay-in-bed plan. Encourage them that they can do it! Be clear that it is the new “rule.” No exceptions.
Bedding Ownership: Empower kids by letting them choose their own bedding and how to lay out their stuffies on their bed. They will feel more attachment to their bed if they have some control in how it looks.
Special Bedtime Routine: Incorporate something new and special into the bedtime routine. It can be as simple as a special hug/kiss routine, soft music during bathtime or a big-kid book you read together.
Calming Environment: Make their bedroom calming by adding stars on ceiling, a light up aquarium (it can be fake fish) or a sound machine.
Keep It Positive: Celebrate every success and don’t focus on things they didn’t do so well. Tell them over and over again that they are big, they are safe and they can do it!
Don’t Give In: This is the most important tip. When your child gets out of bed, calmly walk them back to their bed without ANY discussion. Repeat as needed. They will get the hint after a few nights that you are serious. During the day, you can reinforce the importance of staying in bed (don’t engage in discussion at night).

HELPFUL ARTICLES

Kudo Banz Behavior Milestones:

Kudo Banz is like an on-the-go chore chart. Positive reinforcement reinvented to meet the needs of today’s millennial families. As kids grow, they are constantly learning new behaviors. Reaching these milestones in a positive manner is where Kudo Banz comes in! We are here to help start and end behavior in a fun and positive way. Sticker charts or chore charts are often stuck at home, Kudo Banz is always there when you need it since it is right there on your child’s wrist (keeping them motivated to reach their incentive goal).

Finally, a behavior chart that works for your family and makes raising good kids easy and fun. Say goodbye to yelling and tantrums. Kudo Banz makes positive parenting simple.

Growing Happy Families.