Hello! And Question on LIghts and Beds

Replies:

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• by
  • Autism2931
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 1:41 AM

• do you turn off the light before bed? if you do you could take the light bulb out at bedtime....it sounds extreme but my son used to slam his bedroom door....open shut open shut...I told him If he did not stop I would take his door for a week....he did not stop...I took his door for a week....LOL....that never was a problem again.

  maybe he would could understand the bulb comes out at night and therefore no light switching at night....I do not know about the rest of the day....My kids did grow out of the light switch thing eventually.....sometimes still my son will turn on every light in the house....but not obsessively. Good luck!

  ps...be careful the light bulb may be hot! :-)

• 
• by
  • melissarose72
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 2:16 AM

• My son will be 3 in January. He's non-verbal & doesn't seem to want to use the communication skills he's been taught (not as much as he did before). It's so frustrating to go backwards, with him hitting me & whining because he wants something, or because something isn't working the way he wants (toys). He's also a picky eater. I haven't even attempted potty training. I just don't see any signs that he's ready yet.

  Recently, he discovered he could turn the kitchen light switch on & off. Over & over. UGH. When he didn't listen, I put him in his room for a 2 minute time out (door closed). It's the ONLY thing that sinks in with him (at least right now). I'm sure he's just excited to use a new "skill". Today he didn't mess with the light switch. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, lol. It's a good thing he can't reach the other switches yet. I'm surprised he doesn't push his stool (to climb up in his bed) over to his bedroom light switch.

  We moved my son into a full size (adult) bed, long ago. About 11 months ago, I think (when he was just shy of 2 yrs old). A child size bed seemed too small (he's very restless & was always hitting the wall when he sat up & moved around. He sleeps much, much better in a full size bed (with 2 bedrails & lots of pillows). It took a long time for this sleep thing to get better (from sleeping in my arms as a baby, then next to me when he got bigger, the waking up so often every single night, then trying the different size beds & finding the right amount & size of pillows for him to be comfortable). At night, I stay with him for a minute (also a work in progress that's taken a long time from the days I had to stay until he fell asleep). I tell him goodnight & I close his door all the way. For some reason, he doesn't get out of bed at night, usually. I open his door a few inches, after he's asleep. He gets out of his bed in the morning. With Aaron, things have just been trial & error for me.

  For nap time, 95% of the time, I still stay with him until he falls asleep. Otherwise...he'd be out of bed. If I close the door all the way and leave him in the room, he knows I mean business (and am frustrated about how long it's taking him to settle down).

  Aaron is crazy for running water. He loves to splash in the tub, but he also loves to put his hands under running water. I know if he was able to reach the sink by himself, he'd be turning it on all the time. I let him play in the water for a little bit & then I say (and sign) all done. He's gotten so much better about that being the end of it (most of the time).

  With me, when something becomes too much of an issue with Aaron - I try to remove or hide the object that's causing the problems. (if he's getting too upset about his blocks falling down & won't stop, they end up disappearing for a while).  Or a time out, in his room, for naughty behavior like hitting or not listening (which he hates). I hate to make him cry that way, but he has to learn to listen.

• 
• by
  • Beth100
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 10:07 AM

•  

                   The light switch thing we have been through.  In fact, my grandson reverts back to it often.  But, unscrewing the bulb is a good remedy.  (unless you are extremely short, like myself.)

                    As far as the bed thing goes, we have finally taken the mattress off the bed and put it on the floor.  My grandson gets up, occasionally, and a weighted blanket might help you there.  They are a little costly, but check with the group to see if anyone has one that they are ready to part with!

                   My grandson is medicated, especially at night, so he gets a sleep aid.  I would suggest if you have never tried one, melatonin to start with.  It is not harmful and often provides just enough relaxant to get sleep started.  It is available at any drug store and is over the counter.  I used to get our at Fred Meyers.  Good luck.......Beth100

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• by
  • MommyJanice44
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 12:33 PM

• My son went through that for awhile now he is taking off all of the nobs you turn to turn the lights on we have had to buy extra for when we turn the lights on also extra one's for him that he keeps in his pockets . I am not sure why they are obessed with lights , I do no we live in the dark also with the lights many of are kiddos can hear them and see different sights we don't see with the light bulbs sometimes the sounds of the lights bother them  .. Strange hug .. This is why we live in the dark , .. The small swirly ones been said they are very bad for are kiddos , the souds also what they are made of .  I was told to take them out and just put regular light bulbs in the lamps . he didn't turn off the lights as much in the kicthen after I did that .. It is just a faze I think all of are kiddos' go through but it go's deeper I think then just wanting to turn the switches on and off . Like the one lady said yes I have had to take doors off and light bulbs out , oh wait until they can reach the heater and the AC , the dishwasher , the microwave which weve had to buy an adaptor switch in the back to turn it off after we use it .. I just love when they start doing something and we have to make the ultimate changes , We as mommas are so creative lol ...love it . GOOD LUCK HONEY .Oh yeah and the bathtub but praise the Lord he turns it off right befor it overflows. I got lucky he knows better then to keep it going , well he flooded the back bathroom by putting all of his cloth in the shower and he had it running , while we had just left to go out for a few hours , that was not a pretty sight when I got home , just alittle bit of what they do when they get older , so with the light switch is right now , Like the one momma said take the light bulbs out at night when it is time for bed , always a solution , most of the time . Look beyound why they are doing what they are , chances are there is a reason ..  

• 
• by
  • MommyJanice44
  on Nov. 8, 2009 at 12:39 PM

• 
  

  Quoting Beth100:
  
  

   

                   The light switch thing we have been through.  In fact, my grandson reverts back to it often.  But, unscrewing the bulb is a good remedy.  (unless you are extremely short, like myself.)

                    As far as the bed thing goes, we have finally taken the mattress off the bed and put it on the floor.  My grandson gets up, occasionally, and a weighted blanket might help you there.  They are a little costly, but check with the group to see if anyone has one that they are ready to part with!

                   My grandson is medicated, especially at night, so he gets a sleep aid.  I would suggest if you have never tried one, melatonin to start with.  It is not harmful and often provides just enough relaxant to get sleep started.  It is available at any drug store and is over the counter.  I used to get our at Fred Meyers.  Good luck.......Beth100

  
  

  Great idea also with all the pillow the blankets , the melatonin I have heard it works great . I still put heavy duty blanket and lots and lots of pillows around Kyle's bed . It does help a lot .. thanks Beth ..

• 
• by
  • jessealive
  on Nov. 9, 2009 at 1:33 AM

• Ive gone though the same thing with the lights. we have a fan light in his room so i pull the string at night so when he gets up to turn on the light I hear him whin and pout for a minute but he gets back in bed and goes to sleep.

  But 6 months ago he decided he would not go to sleep in his bed. and would only sleep on the floor near the door. Then we went to visit my sister out of town were only one night he insisted on sleeping on the floor but the next night I got him in bed and he stayed and slep. It was the blanket that made him comfortable.  It was a heavy goosedown comforter. We took the blanket home and now have no problem with going to bed.He likes to slep only in underwear but under a heavy blanket

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• by
  • Sithpadawans
  on Nov. 9, 2009 at 3:31 PM

• My now 5 yr old son stopped sleeping in his crib when he was 14 months old. He had to sleep in the living room on the floor that we had piled with blankets and pillows. Then we tried a toddler bed and he refused to sleep in it. Then we got bunk beds and he loves it. He also falls asleep at night in my bed and I just put him in his own bed after. he gets Melatonin at night and that does help a great deal.

  As for the lights, it's my 3 yr old that loves to flip the switches all the time. LoL, so i basically took the light out of their bedroom and when it gets dark, he has to deal with it. They also have a tv in their room for their own dvds that i already know by heart, so it's not like they are in complete darkness. And usually at 9pm all the lights get turned off so that they know it's settle down time and the living room is completely dark so there is no excuse to be in there. They can either come into my room with me or lay down on their beds and watch tv until they crash out. I have had less destruction of my things, they both have their blankets and can cuddle with me and we can watch movies in my room also and it just seems to work all around better for us this way. And I have the diapers and wipes next to my bed so if one needs a butt change, I am ready.

  My 3 yr old is borderline autistic, non verbal. He is right in the middle of potty training and seems to want to spend hours on the potty and just waste toilet paper. But he wants to sit on it and he will go on it from time to time, so i don't care how much tp he uses. My 5 yr old refuses to be trained and Hades could freeze over before he will relent.

• 
• by
  • kimberlyk413
  on Nov. 9, 2009 at 8:59 PM

• My daughter, who is now 8, used to do the light switch thing too. We had a ceiling fan/light switch so when it was time for bed, we'd turn the light off and she couldnt reach it. We also had a tv in her room (still do) that she watches to fall asleep. Probably not the best thing to do, but it calms her and puts her to sleep at night. Melatonin and seroquel work also! As far as a bed goes....we moved her out of her crib when she was 2 1/2 because she kept shaking it so hard the side fell off. She went to a twin size bed and kept taking the mattress off and tipping it over and over. So we took out the frame and she slept on a mattress with lots of blankets and pillows. She is now on a futon, but she bounces so much that she has bent the frame....may look at going back to the mattress....sometimes she prefers the floor anyway.

  We also have a swing gate in her doorway. It is a godsend. Luckily she hasnt figured out how to get it open and it acts like a barrier for her. If we didn't have it, she would never stay in her room at night. These are just some of the things that worked for us!!

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