Getting up Too Early/waking Everyone Up.

My 4 year old still does this in periodic spurts. When he was almost 3 and I was pregnant and then had a new baby I lost my temper a few times (lack of sleep) and snapped at him for waking me up. That didn't work, but combined with:
- a talk to him about how much happier mommy was when she got a good sleep
- pointing out how cranky he was too when he got up too early and
- giving him some pointers on how to know when it was time to wake up and when it was time to roll over and go back to sleep
he finally learned to wake up quietly.

For us, knowing when to wake up is if the sky is not dark anymore and if the clock says 7 on the first number. (We'll be getting him a clock for his room before the sun starts rising early.) I know they have somewhere "clocks" for kids that don't actually have the time on them, but have pictures instead.
Good luck!

My son is the same way. When he was about 2.5 we got him a small digital clock. We put tape over the last two numbers and told him he can't come out of his room until he sees a 7. He was exited about the clock and till this day follows it to a T. (At 7:01 he comes running into our room) We made sure he knew he could play quietly in his room, and pointed out which toys were not allowed or they would be removed.

There is also a bunny face clock you can get on the web. You set it to wake up when the child can wake up(or get out). Here is a great blog about it and some other advise. http://daddytypes.com/2006/06/23/bunny_clock_is_the_maste...

Might not work for everyone, but something to try. Good luck.

my son did the same thing-and he still at 8 yo is still an early riser. I just went with it...he and I walked for an hour while hubby and sis slept. Maybe you could make it a condition (if you come quietly to get me, we can go for a walk/read a book/play game...whatever is special time). They grow out of the need to wake you up, I promise.

All of the kids in my house love books,so when some body wakes up really early,young or old,have a book by there side. Every night before bedtime,they pick there favorite book. Hope that helps!

My boys are bigger (6 & 8), but when they get up too early & disrupt the rest of the house, they go to bed when I'm tired. Care to guess how early I get tired? (hint: very!)
When one of our big boys woke the baby (he was 9 at the time), he had to feed him his next meal & was in charge of him til baby's usual wake up time. I know you can't put a 2.5 year old in charge of baby, but maybe she can get the diapers, dispose of the dirty, help feed baby... and when she wants something for herself, point out that since she woke him up before it was time for him to get up you need to take care of him first. If she'd not woke him up & needed something from you, you'd have been able to take care of it for her, that's the point you're making.
She could take morning naps again too-no movie, no TV time. Explain that since everyone got up so early this morning, you'll all be taking a morning & afternoon nap. Maybe tomorrow everyone will stay quiet til the rest of the family wakes up & you won't have to take a morning & afternoon nap.
I hope you figure something out!

Cythia,
I do the clock thing too. If I hear them up before it is time I quickly and quietly go to them and tell them it is not time to wake up (still looking tired myself) and that it is still sleeping time. Some of mine, are good with that and go back to sleep. Others I have set up a reward system that they get a small treat if they stay in bed and go back to sleep, or at least lay there quietly until it is time to get up. I think with less then five year olds, rewards work better then taking things away. It has worked really well for us. after about three weeks of success, I then only give the treat if they remember. And it gradually wears off. So by the time they are three they just stay in bed and sleep or stay in bed and lay quietly.
Good luck
E.

I had the same problem with my son. We figured out that it's hard for him to tell when it's okay to wake up without some sort of visual clue (in the winter, the sun rises far to late). So we got a clock that changes color in the morning - it's turns blue at bedtime, and yellow when it's okay to wake up. http://www.mytotclock.com/home.php?osCsid=srmrbrf3v02acb0...
It only took one or two mornings of us leading him quietly back to bed when he got up too early, and pointing out to him that the clock was still blue, so it's still bedtime.