Bribery

Yes, I bribe my children.  Well, really I just bribe Kyle.  Hailey does not seem to fall for my tricks (yet). Sometimes you just do what you have to do....

A few months ago Kyle had a sticker chart.  Each night he slept in his "big boy bed" he earned a sticker.  He filled up his 2 week chart and earned the saxophone he had been begging for.

Success!!!!  He was sleeping in his bed and doing really well.  Even falling asleep in his bed.

Well, just when I was confident that we had him in his bed, he wasn't!

All of a sudden he was waking up 3-5 times a night coming in and asking "Mom, can you snuggle me?" I would tuck him in stay for a minute and go back to bed. It progressively got worse from there.  Around 3am he was coming in and yelling "I don't want to go in my big boy bed!!!"

Something needed to be done.  When we went to Target one day Kyle fell in LOVE with a "Little people space ship".  He begged and begged for it.  I FOUND MY TOOL FOR BRIBERY!!

I made him a new sticker chart and after 30 days of sleeping in his big boy bed he will earn the spaceship.

Let me just say: So far. So good.

Since we made the chart he has been sleeping in his own bed.  He is even deciding when he wants to go in his bed, and an even bigger bonus we get to read to him now!  Before he just didn't have the patience for it, and now he really enjoys it! 

So, yes.  I bribe Kyle with gifts to sleep in his own bed, but so far it has been benefiting all of us.  Jay and I sleep better, Kyle sleeps better, we get quality one on one time, and get to read together every night!

Now to get him to sleep past 5am and Hailey out of the bed!

Baby steps =)