The beauty of sleep...Keep kids in their bedroom

My four-year-old daughter comes into our bedroom a few times every night. We've tried the Silent Return to bed, but after many trips to her room, we cave. Should we be more consistent?

We're not perfect. We're parents. That's real life. I think that when parents are perfect is if they are 80% consistent in how they respond to their children. But sometimes parents have to put forth extra effort in order to outlast unwanted behaviors. It's not easy to extinguish behaviors by ignoring them. Always remember that there is a direct connection between how you treat your children and how they behave.

Perhaps your son recently had some disruption of his schedule that got him off track. If you're caving after several Silent Returns to his bed, then you are teaching your son to try several times. Your son knows that he will hit the jackpot eventually. When mom or dad perseveres and always outlasts the child, then you will solve the sleep problem. If you stop rewarding the behavior, the behavior will disappear. My guess is that it will now take about 4-5 nights.

When sleeping is short from illnesses, vacations, or holidays, then immediately after the disruption passes, become super consistent (100%) with Silent Return to sleep and your child and family should recover within 1-2 nights. Don't delay or drag it out hoping for a miracle, because then when you do try it, it might take 4-5 nights