Get the Best Winter Activities
RELATED: Find local behavior and discipline experts.
If they cry, don’t get in the habit of picking them up every time they cry. Work with them--rub their back, stay next to them. Don’t foster the behavior that as soon as they cry you’re just going to remove them from the situation.
Does my 4-year-old need to go to sleep at 8 pm? If he goes to sleep at 10 pm and wakes up at 7 am, is that a problem? --Kendra
If he is sleeping through the night without any wakeups, it’s not broken, so don’t fix it.
But if he’s exhausted at 4 or 5 pm, or he’s having meltdowns between 4 and 6 pm, he might not be getting enough sleep. He might be overtired, but he’s catching his second wind at 8 pm. Or if he’s still napping, his nap might be interfering with his bedtime.
As he gets into school age, a 10 o’clock bedtime will make him over-tired, especially with how intense schools are these days.
My daughter just turned 3. She’s not napping anymore. Should we put her in a toddler bed so she can learn to be independent, or keep her in the crib? --Maxine
A child can be independent whether or not they’re in the crib. If a child is not ready for a bed, it’s like giving a 16-year old the keys to the car before they’ve taken any driving lessons. If a child does not know how to handle the situation of being in a bed, they’ll be like jack-in-the-boxes coming out of the bed all the time. If that’s the case, keep your child in the crib as long as possible.
If you are concerned about them developing enough independence to potty train, know that children can definitely still be potty-trained while they’re in the crib.
Don’t miss any future NYMetroParents webinars or special events! Sign up for our newsletter now to get notified first!