can anyone help me as i am desperate?my 9yr old daughter is becoming a problem,the trouble started about 3yrs ago.she will not go to sleep at bedtime,i have tried every thing i can think of,she used to read before going to sleep and that helped but this only lasted about a month and she got fed up with books.also she has a very bad temper and often loses control and says some hurtful things.other times shes the loveliest child you could ever meet.its mainly the bedtime chaos i find hardest to deal with as i am tired myself and she wakes her younger sister up.
my son is 9 and he is also very tough...kids seem to be at an age where they are testing us and experiencing a lot of emotions.
do you have other children?
do you have any idea what could be bothering her? does she have good friends....are you in a stable and happy relationship?
I understand the exhaustion...
my son comes out of bed 3 to 4 times a night at the moment. I have started a reward system which seems to be helping...and next week i told my son I will add ' staying in bed' as something that must be done before he gets a star and has the right to watch tv or play a pc game.
i think kids can get used to the idea of coming out of bed...maybe she just wants more time with you...
i have a 7yr old daughter & have no trouble with her at bedtime,except when her sister starts calling me at regular intervals,we all end up exhausted!i think she is worried that i will go out & needs reasuring that im still there,infact i havent been out at all since this all began.i am married,she has friends,hobbies,so i cant understand where the insecurity has come from.i have tried rewards & charts,any suggestions would be gratfully recieved!!!
She has probably gotten used to coming out of bed...and it is now a routine.
You need to break this...as well as understand the cause.
In terms of understanding the cause...talking is probably best...My son came out with a whole host of things the other day..It is also clear he loves the attention...
But now I need to break the routine...and I have told him no star for the day if he does not stay in bed...(and this means no pocket money and no tv or pc games the next day)
just checked on the kids (i live in europe hence time difference)...and well they are asleep...BUT my daughter of 5 has moved into my son's bed. Adorable to see. They did not get out of bed to see me...but just decided it would be nicer to sleep together...
we'll see if that continues...because sleeping together often means more talking and luaghing. But for now am happy with the result.
i am really pleased you`ve found a solution!i`m still struggling.will let you know if i have any sucess,i think the trick is to stay strong & mean what you say,i think i`m just a soft touch!!
