What do you do when a toddler just won't sleep?

Hmmm, so yes, we are in the big boy bed. Now what? Will this get any better? How do parents deal with big boy beds if the big boys won't stay in them?

I have a very active little boy...I realize he was in a crib until after his third birthday but he was willing to sleep there and we were willing to let him.

Our normal ritual consists of prayers followed by kissing and tucking Thadeus into bed. Around two weeks before Christmas, I started the potty talk again. Our pediatrician had advised me that Thad just didn't seem ready for pottying and maybe to lay off for a couple of months. So that would put us at January for starting the potty time again.

Mid-December I started suggesting to Thadeus that if he would start using the big boy potty then he would be rewarded with a big boy bed. I was thinking...it is time to move on to this big bed but what a great way to "reward" him--if he used the potty. Well, it was that same weekend that he figured out how to get out of his bed. I knew it was only a matter of time. It is one of the convertable beds, meaning, it's a crib, converts to a toddler bed and finally can be converted into a double bed...pretty neat. The crib had tall sides, so he never tried to crawl out, until about two weeks ago.

It was a Saturday. We are both in our living room and out comes Thadeus--Jerime and I both looked up with bewilderment on our faces. "Hello Thad", Jerime said. "What are you doing? Did you figure out how to get out of your bed?" "Uh, huh," Thadeus said with this HUGE smile on his face.

So we tried putting him back in his crib and he just wouldn't have it....nice. Nap time has been non-existant. Yep...nada. No naps. This means that by 5pm, Thadeus is just the most wonderful kiddo to be around. Melt downs occur, yelling, throwing; and all of this because he is tired and won't take a nap. This is not from lack of trying though. We kept putting him in the bed...out he came. I think I even threatened to duct-tape him to the bed....of course, this was not good because he believed me and began crying....so not such a good idea....

Night time has been an issue too. Sometimes we've let him stay up....falling asleep next to us and we just take him to his new bed. Other times, we let him play in his room...until finally we have to make him go to sleep which involves a "YOU BETTER NOT GET OUT OF THIS BED AGAIN" speech--he will cry and we feel bad but once it is 10 pm you just have to draw the line! I mean I was falling asleep before him!!!!

I've done a spanking technique once and that was not fun so haven't done that again. So I guess there is no really right way but we are continuing to work on it and maybe he will eventually cooperate.

and two weeks later...

Well, golly bum. I am so excited to have reached my blog page....now, what to write? Facebook has taken over my strength to blog...but I must....
You see, I forgot my password? How did this happen....? I'm not sure, except that I kept trying to follow the prompts to reset it and I couldn't get it to happen....two weeks later, I FINALLY receive the e-mail I need to really reset this thing! Ah, atlast!
Now, off to decide what to write about...my last blog was on July 4th!!!!! Pre-second baby....a LOT has happened since then.
AND Christmas.