When it comes to bedtime, toddlers can be so challenging. They’re smart, clever and they know exactly how to get you to meet their demands during their nightly routine- we call it bedtime mischief. They test your patience and can be so frustrating!
Aside from attempting (and potentially succeeding) to climb out of their crib, they may take off their sleep sack, take off their pj’s and, yes, some even take off their diaper. All of these shenanigans are done with a purpose. They want you to stay in their room at bedtime or come visit in the middle of the night. And if your toddler is causing trouble, they’re likely going to succeed in their task!
If your kiddo is under the age of three, it’s best to do everything you possibly can to extend life in a crib. Why? Between two and three, the vast majority of kiddo’s don’t have the impulse control to stay in a toddler bed or big bed. You can explain the rules over and over again but your rambunctious toddler will figure out that it’s a lot more fun to get out of bed and surprise you at your bedside at all hours of the night. You can gently and calmly guide them back to their own bed but… surprise! There they are all over again. It can be so exhausting and so frustrating when you do this 50 – 100 times and you’re still not successful in getting your child to sleep in his or her bedroom.
Suppose you don’t have a crib climber but you do have a determined child who loves to take off clothes and diapers after bedtime. This mischief will surely get your attention. Who wants to even think about changing the sheets at 3:00 AM?
Here are a few tips for battling bedtime mischief with your clever toddler:
- Use a sleep sack but put it on backwards
- Put the diaper on backwards.
- Secure the PJ zipper tab with duct tape.
- Use duct tape to secure your kiddo’s diaper.
- Take a short, ¼ – inch wide piece of elastic. Make a loop with the elastic and securely sew the ends to the top of the PJ’s. Loop the elastic through the zipper tab so that it’s impossible to unzip the PJ’s.
Your kiddo may “complain” about your PJ adaptation. After a few nights, kids should cease with all efforts to go diaperless at night.