needs to be tucked in... again and again

mommy#1

Wed, Jul 25 2012, 12:28 pm

my 20 mo DS goes to sleep very nicely. he asks me to lie in the bed next to his crib before I leave the room, so I usually tuck him in then lie there for a minute. as I get up to leave, I always covered him with his blanket again because he stands up in the minute I lie there. so, he got smarter Very Happy

and as soon as I cover him, he throws the blanket off and says "cover". the first night he did that I covered him again, and he threw it off again, so I recovered him. he just threw it off before I moved 2 feet from him. so I told him one more time, I covered him and left his room. I saw that he threw his blanket off again, but I wasnt going to let him make me cover him 500 times!
now, its his newest shtik. so I put him in, cover him, lie down for a minute, get up & as soon as I get up he says, "Cover". as im about to cover him again, I say only one time! and I cover him and leave. but every time, he throws the blanket off and cries that he wants to be covered again. I dont go in again unless he cries for 10 minutes. then ill go in, say ok so lie down, ill cover him once and leave (if hes real upset ill lie down in the bed again, and usually by the time a minute passes hes asleep, but if not, ill just leave)
but this happens every time he goes to sleep-the whole process! anyone have any ideas how to get the whole covering thing to stop? if hed get his way, id be covering him for 3 hours straight!

chani8

Wed, Jul 25 2012, 12:49 pm

I'd lay there, fake that I'm asleep (maybe mumble, "I'm going to sleep, also you go to sleep"), then pretend to fall sleep (or do it!), and stay until he is asleep. It's important to stop any discussion or interaction, so that he gets bored and goes to sleep.

mommy#1

Wed, Jul 25 2012, 3:01 pm

Thanks. But at 11 am and 7 pm you have at least an hours time to just lie there? I totally ignore him when I'm lying down, and I've stayed for awhile here and there, but he shmoozes with himself, sings, jumps up and down. It takes him upwards of an hour to fall asleep!