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One of the most common questions we're asked goes as follows:

What do you do when your kids won't settle down at night and start goofing around with each other? If we only had one, it'd be a lot simpler. But what do you do when all of them start acting up at once…and nobody can get any sleep?

When these sorts of problems become chronic, it's time for a Love and Logic "Strategic Training Session." Follow the steps below:

• Don't do anything until you've taken the time to plan.
• Keep all of this a secret from your kids. Consequences are often more effective when they come as a bit of a surprise to them.
• Carry out your plan only when it's convenient for you.

Here's one mother's example:

Our twins kept keeping us up at night. Then we decided to put together a plan. It took two weeks to figure out how we were going to pull it off…but it was worth it. They couldn't believe it when the babysitter arrived one evening and we said, "Oh, this is so sad. We haven't been getting any sleep because you've been playing around so much at night. We're going to sleep at Aunt Dianna's house…so that we can get rested up. How are you guys planning to pay your babysitter? If you don't have any money, you can pay her with some of your toys. Have a good night. We love you."

Check out our book, Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood for more ideas on solving bedtime hassles and much, much more.

Thanks for reading!
Dr. Charles Fay

Founder of Parenting with Love and Logic