help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

I don't know what to do anymore, we have tried getting DS to stay in his own room and he ALWAYS ends up in our bed, he'll come in when we are asleep, he'll carry on for HOURS to come in, I just feel like this kid is going to be in my bed until he's 10 at this point...I"ve even tried bribery at this point, LOL! Any suggestions??? I'll try ANYTHING!!

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

Just I am in the same boat, we move my 2.5 yo dd into her bed and she makes her way back to ours.

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

We tell him he has to stay in his bed until the sun comes up and if he doesn't, he can't play with his trains the next day.

Of course, if he wakes up because he needs to use the bathroom, we are OK with it. But if he's whiney or just wants to get up for no reason -- his trains are packed up.

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

We just went through this... a 3 monthperiod of her winding up in our bed.

I got a sticker chart and it actually worked!! The first full week she stayed in her bed she got a new Barbie and a Barbie convertible. Now she just gets the stickers and she hasn't mentioned another present so either am I!

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

Sorry I can't help... my 4.5 yr old does the same exact thing!!!

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

We made a stop light out of felt for DD1. She could call us, ask for something, or leave her room...but each time she did the stop light changed color. First green, then yellow and once it turned red there was no more requests or leaving the room.
When she got to about your DC's age we gave her a coin (I had a clown coin from an old arcade place that shut down). She could either use that coin for one request or in the morning exchange it for a sticker on her sleep chart. Once she accumulated X number of stickers she got a prize.

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

Few weeks ago I told DD that there is a "new rule" : she has to stay in bed and can't get out until the sun comes up. The only time she can get out is if there is an emergency, other times -she wants water, use bathroom... she needs to call us and we'll help her...
Worked really well.

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

My DS (almsot 4) started in his bed with a gate at his door. While he knew he could open it, he never did, if he got out of bed he would come to door and call to ask a question or have us open gate to go bathroom. (he is on 2nd floor and we are on first so used gate for sadety primilary).
Now that he is a bit older there is no gate and he still occasionaly gets out of bed but he only stands at door and never leaves room.
I am no expert but maybe try a toddler clock .http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product2.jsp?productId=536615 They have a really neat clock that you can program to change when it is okay to wake up (I think one is a sleeping bunny/awake bunny), they same concept as don't get up until sun gets up but you can get DC involved in setting it everynight to help reinforce staying in bed.

Good luck!!! Just hold your ground and try not to cave, send her back to bed everytime she gets out, it may suck for a while but will pay off.

Re: help! Getting a 3.5 year old to stay in their own room and bed

DD#2 has a babygate on her door, she would never stay without it