Quote:
Originally Posted by LeeH
In addition to the no engagement march back to bed routine, you might consider this:
You can punish undesirable behavior or reward desirable behavior. What motivates him? Toys? Zoo? Video? Movie? Figure out what really motiviates him and offer him that as a reward for some number of successful evenings. He's young so it will have to be a small number. Start with something like, three nights of cooperation equals one reward - for instance, a trip to the video store to pick out the movie of his choice.
Have him design a chart where you'll track his successes with stickers (of his choice, of course). Celebrate each success. Celebrate the completion of the sticker charts. Celebrate the trip to the video store. Hang that chart in a place of honor and design the next chart... five days this time. Each one is a little longer than the previous one. We started using this for general behavior when our daughter was very young and only recently discontinued it, once she was well past 8 yo.
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We've tried similar strategies with him in the past and he just isn't 'sticker motivated' as his pre-school teacher puts it. For potty training I gave him a matchbox car every time he used the potty, 1 for pee and 2 for poop. He was potty trained in no time with that method but I'm not game for that one in this case. I don't want that to be the only motivational tool and I don't think it would be wise here. I put him in bed tonight and gave him the silent treatment, he went down with out much fight but stayed awake for a good 2 hours or so in there - frustrating. If he doesn't get his sleep he's a real a$$hat (much like me) but I'll be waking him up bright and early at 7am tomorrow...
Back to the chart - we've actually been doing one for the last couple of weeks and only once have we been able to get a full day of good out of him. Mostly it falls apart at bed time.