Hi everyone i have a 5 year old son and up intill last week he was fine going to bed on his own now when it is bedtime he flips out he screams he will not let me leave his room he has a night light and a radio in his room to sooth him but he still flips out screaming and wanting me to sleep with him can anyone help me on how to help him go to sleep on his own again thank you a frustated parent
I know how frustrated you feel. I too have a 5 yr old daughter, who does not want to sleep in her room. I talked to her and she said she is scared. Together we made her room comfortable and cute. We decorated her bed with her favorite babies. I bought a fish tank, we keep that light on for a night lite. Maybe if you ask him what he would like. Do alot of what he suggests.
Hopefully that will help, Good luck!
Ask him to go into detail about what is scary in there, and listen carefully to his answers. Ask him if having the door open (or closed) would help, if cleaning under the bed would help, if removing certain items would help, if something makes a shadow on the wall he doesn't like, etc.
Also, I remember that as a kid, when I was scared in a bedroom my mom told me to think of God's love and warmth surrounding me like an invisible ocean. Somehow that helped.
My friends went through this with their daughter. They devised a system where little by little they reduced their presence in her room. First couple of nights they slept on the floor until she fell asleep. After a few days they stayed until she was drousy. This evolved into them agreeing to check on her ever 15 minutes until asleep. Gradually they added minutes until she was sleeping along in her bed again. They also came up with a reward system for each night she went to bed without trouble. They also took her to pick out a specially lovie and then let her pick books to read in bed. They also kept reassuring her with thoughts she can have to feel better when scared. They wrote them on a board and posted them in her room
I give my son two nights a week in my bed, typically it's Fri/Sat night, it seems to have worked. He says his bed gives him nightmares - what do you do to "fix" that?
When my 4 year old did something similar it was because he was scared of something he saw on tv. Talk to him to figure out what it is, but it may take a couple of conversations to figure out exactly the issue. My son kept thinking about what he was scared of, but he kept saying he was dreaming about it. Once I figured it out, I was able to give him other ideas of things to think about at night (looking at a book, cuddling with animals), which helped. We did monster spray, which helped a little. And he used his big room light, and us being out in the living room while he went to bed (super close to his room), as a crutch for a while, but once he got better about going to bed, we were able to stop those things. It may take some time, and patience, but you will figure it out and move past it.
Its a phase.
Not permanent.
My son got "clingier" at certain ages too.
Try talking with your son, about it and why he gets like that?
At this age as well, they get nightmares and general "fears" of the dark etc. but which is developmentally normal.
