some of you last week may recall my post about a DCK that I was having some issues with regarding screaming at drop off that would sometimes last almost 2 hours.

Well I talked with both DCP in a meeting on Friday night. We talked about the issues at hand and how all of us can work together to remedy this issue. During the meeting DCM disclosed what seems to be the real issue. She told me that she is having issues getting the kids to bed because all 3 of them co-sleep together in a queen size bed. The kids are 21months and 3.5years. She said that when she tries to lay them down at 9:00pm it usually turns into a huge nightmare with both kids fighting each other, jumping on the bed and etc. She said that this will go on for hours on end, sometimes until past midnight.

I have never heard of this before Friday, but knew that the kids were never getting enough sleep and this is why we had lots of behavioral issues.

I told DCP that I wanted to think about some ideas to suggest to them so that they can develop a better realistic bedtime routine. But I am having problems coming up with some suggestions/ideas.

BTW I do not know the reason why they all share one room??? IT could be a cultural thing. I am not sure that the kids have separate rooms or not. BUT I am going to assume that they do considering the fact that they do have a 5 bedroom massive beautiful home...

Any help with suggestions to this family would be GREAT!!!!!

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Why are they going to bed at 9pm?!

I would suggest the same routine at the same time every night and if they are going to share a room put the heaviest sleeper down first. Don't try and put them down at the same time. Personally I think they would sleep better in their own beds in their own rooms, or at least their own beds if they have to share a room.

This is our bedtime routine:
Bath & teeth, PJs, 2-3 books, 2-3 songs, quiet talk/prayers, snuggles, sleep. We don't play music as they go to sleep because my kids prefer silence but music might help.

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Wow, they're up until midnight?
If they have separate rooms, the mom should put them to bed in their own rooms. It may take a while, but they'll probably get used to sleeping alone.
Mom could try a bedtime routine. After they do it for a while, they will know that the time to go to bed is coming.
My ds is 15 months and slept in our room forever. My dh worked really early in the morning-he had to be up a 3 am most dayd so when ds would get up, I would either put him in bed with us or go to the couch with him so my dh could sleep. I thought he would never go in his own bed, but he does.
This is the routine I do with him:

At approximately 7:45:
He has a little snack
We brush his teeth
Read a book
Say good night and put my son in his bed between 8 and 8:30-almost every night. Sometimes he stays up a little later on the weekend.

He does cry some nights, but I let him cry for a while and usually he goes to sleep, if not I do get him up and cuddle for a little while then put him back in bed and that usually works.

With mom having 3 kids, it will probably take a while to get them into a routine and it's not going to be fun, but she could try for a while.

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Oh yeah, I saw Mamabears post and just remembered that we do turn on a sleep music cd and let it play through once. It seems to help my ds get to sleep.

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I am not sure if going to separate sleeping rooms is an option. Again I believe that it could be a cultural thing...

I have told DCP that 8am would be a much better start time for bed time, but for whatever reason, they both agree that 9pm works for them. I think it could be because the dcd works very late and wants to see the children before they go to sleep?????

I will suggest putting the hard sleeper to bed first.....

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