Quote From: faithadelleHey There
sorry i haven't replied lately. I forgot to check the boards. Anyways with the cold shower its like the time out, you give ONE and ONLY ONE warning and then you take her straight to the shower, put her in * fully clothed is most effective* and turn it on, you only turn it off when she agrees to behave. This should only take like 10 seconds.. unless shes immune to cold. But yeah it should work.
you can e-mail me at star_magic80@hotmail.com if you need anything else.
Love,
sabrina
I'm sorry, but a cold shower will NOT make a child want to go to bed. The idea is to calm her. A warm bath and a story. Start about an hour before bedtime. Make this HER time with you...spend the hour with pleasant activities. Let her sit with you on the couch, cuddling her. Slowly wind her down. Have her help put away her toys for the night before the rest of the routine starts. If she feels too rushed at bedtime, she will be less cooperative. She just wants attention...give it to her BEFORE the tantrum, and you can prevent the tantrum all together.
This worked with our kids. Our 9 year old still likes to cuddle at bedtime. Our first child was a learning experience. By the time we got to the third one, we had the routine down pat. When the routine is disturbed, it is harder to get a young child to conform to the rules. Don't schedule any evening activities outside the home.
Make sure that you are getting your child to bed at a reasonable time...around 8 PM for a 3 year old. Start at 7 PM...just work this into your schedule...after she is in bed, you can do the things that you need to do.
Are you a stay-at-home mom, or do you work outside the home, with your daughter in daycare?
With dad absent, it puts all of the pressure on you. Getting your daughter calmly to bed at a reasonable time makes the rest of your evening much more enjoyable...you need to take care of yourself in order to be able to deal with a 3 year old.
I realize that I am talking with the person replying to the one with the 3 year old...this advice is aimed at the mom of the 3 year old.
Keep the bedtime routine positive...the calming approach works a lot better than punishment at bedtime. The goal is to calm the child and help her change gears from playtime to bedtime. Keeping the same routine every night is important...schedule the bedtime hour just for your daughter...let the answering machine get the phone if it rings.
I hope my suggestions have been helpful...I wrote a longer post previously with lots of advice on dealing with a 3 year old...it is important to realize that she is 3, not 12, so expect her to act like a 3 year old...keep commands simple and clear.
Becky