Reddit mentions: The best room decor accents for kids

I don't usually follow \r\parenting but my husband saw your post and suggested I respond. I can hear myself in you sometimes.

I can relate to where you're coming from. I have a daughter with Sensory Processing Disfunction. She. doesn't. stop. moving. EVER. and no. It's not normal 2 year old behavior. (I am so tired of hearing that.) She is so busy busy busy she was having trouble learning speech. She tested as a 15-18 mo when she was 24 mo. It also doesn't help that I'm an enabler. I gave her whatever she needed before she would have to ask. I also have some ongoing health issues that make me fatigued from time to time which makes parenting an active child a challenge.

There's a ton of good advice in the comments so far. I agree with you needing to work on you first. It's super important for you to get the help you need to be mentally capable to raise your son. Kids are hard. Even harder if you're struggling with health issues.

My advice is going to focus on your son since you've gotten so much advice for you. First I need to say, good for you for getting him involved in EI! That's a huge step. Now you need to make sure you're using them to their full potential. I'm going to base most of my assumptions that you're in the US. If not, some of the advice won't fit.

I sincerely hope that your son is getting Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy, maybe even Developmental Therapy for the social issues. It sounds like he definitely needs it. Because my daughter was so delayed in speech, they were able to give her Speech, OT and Developmental Therapy. I'm in the state of IL. I'm not sure if your state works the same way. They have helped her so much even in 6 short months.

We too are already talking about pre-school. That in and of itself is super scary. It's hard to acknowledge your baby is growing up! She's getting evaluated by the school district in June. Has your EI coordinator talked to you about when your testing will be? The school district will do their own set of tests and create a IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for him.

(One thing I just thought of... Make lists of questions so when you're talking to people like the OT or Speech or EI or docs, you've got something to refer to and don't have to try to remember. When you're not feeling yourself, it's especially hard to be on the ball.)

Routines

Routines have been a huge help for my daughter and I. I am naturally a person that needs to know what's coming next. I hate surprises (although I'm getting better about it as I get older). The biggest thing is nap time. For us, nap time actually starts about 30-45 min before I want to put her down. I try to do it at the same time every day. Because she is so physically active, I have to make sure we do some "heavy work" at least 45 min before I want to put her to sleep. For her it is typically jumping on her trampoline. She also has a small wagon I brought inside that I fill with bean bags for her to pull around. After the heavy work, she gets a 30 min TV show. Then diaper change and a book. We were having some trouble with her laying down after we switched to a toddler bed. We bought a clock that lights up. It took about 2 weeks of being super consistent (and listening to her screaming) but she now doesn't need it at nap time any more. We still have it set in the morning. Momma needs her sleep!

Heavy Work

Heavy work is super important for kids with sensory issues. I would think it would help any child that is overly active. They love that feeling of being pulled to the earth. My LO loves being smushed and squeezed. When I give her a hug, I make sure its extra squeezy. :)

We have one of those houses with 2 dining rooms (why are there 2? I have no idea). One of them has been turned into an indoor playground for my daughter. The winter was so brutal that I needed ways for LO to get out her energy. She's got a trampoline, balls, sit-in-spin, and rocking horse. If you have the space, maybe you could include some of these for your son.

Speech

For my LO, we started signing with her once we realized there was a problem after her initial testing. It was a couple of months before she started Speech Therapy through EI and we were trying to be pro-active. We found the TV show "Signing Time". I don't know what it is about this show, but for my daughter it seemed like it opened the floodgates. She was suddenly saying new words while she was doing the signs. It was a miracle for us. They have a few clips up on YouTube. We bought the DVD sets from their website but you can see if your local library has them or something like them.

Consistency

For us, consistency is key. There are always tantrums when I try to implement anything new and sometimes they happen over things that we've been doing for ages. This is the part that goes with being 2. But at the same time, I feel like it's typically a little extreme. Mostly because she knows she should be able to tell me what she wants but can't. It's hard but you have to try to be strong. One thing to think about is if you want things to continue as they are. A week of tantrums to get him to sit at the table to eat like a normal child is worth it to me.

Good luck. Feel free to PM if you need any more advice. Just know that there are people here willing to help and support you.

I don’t have any experience with this yet (LO is 6mo.), but I do have friends who have had great success with a light up clock for their toddler. They set it for the time that it’s okay for her to come out of her room/quiet time is over, and if she wakes up before then she plays with the stuffed animals in her room.

Good luck, and congrats on the addition to your family!

Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cWk6Cb6J4JHED

Thank you for your comments! You must be exhausted!
Sleep is actually my expertise and I hope to talk a lot about pediatric sleep in my blog.

Just to offer some suggestions, if your child is struggling with falling asleep there are a few options that you can try.

1. Have you ever considered a pediatric sleep specialist? They can help you identify why your little one is struggling to fall asleep at night. If you wanted, I would be more than happy to talk to you about your local options. There can be a TON of reasons as to why little ones do not fall asleep at night, and they are easily fixed with the help of a specialist.
   
2. As your kiddo gets older I would recommend an OK To Wake Clock. What we find is that children struggle with the concept of time. The OK to Wake light changes color to let them know that it's okay to get up and get Mommy in the morning. Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/Mirari-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1551046787&sr=1-4&keywords=time+to+wake+up+clock+for+kids
   
   Hopefully these options can increase your sleep time!

We use this one
Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KjiSCbFPTEFE3
He accepted it pretty easily because he loved the light up and little smile the clock did. We set it to show him what to look for and when the light went on we did a little dance saying ooooo he is smiling and dancing ready to wake up! My neighbor has a 2.5 yr old and just had a baby and she uses an okay to wake too but hers changes the color for when it is time to wake. My kid likes it dark so the Mirari works great for him since it only lights up when it is time to get up.
This is what my neighbor uses
Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine, Night Light and Time-to-Rise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XMRCC94/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.miSCbS0T46H9

I own these: https://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/hp-childrens-pb-boxed-set-9781408856772/?ewid=187 and I quite like them, quality is nice and the set is appealing.

However, if you want to spend more, I've seen these at Heathrow Airport HP Shop, and they were great! https://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/gift-editions/

But, the best thing to have, for me, is this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Hogwarts-Express-Bookends/dp/B00ANPUL8S

So maybe you can mix the first one with the last and get a set that I'm sure she will like a lot. Depends on your budget in the end, naturally.

So we had the same issue of kiddo thinking it's time to get up. Someone here linked me to this and we've been using it since he was two and it's worked pretty well!! ESPECIALLY at first.

You set the time and when it hits whatever time you set, the red light turns green. And we harped on "red means stay in bed" and "green means it's time to get up!"

He was totally into it and he learned how to turn on the lights himself really fast. He's almost three now and he always gets super exited to show me "it turned green!!!!"

It's a bit pricey but I'd say it's well worth it. We hit a snag about six months on but we kept at it and it's totally awesome. They don't know time and this helps them a lot. Plus, they can't argue with the clock!!!

I ordered it from amazon.

Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qmkUDb7M6F9E2

My little girl started getting out of bed on her own. She kept getting up earlier and earlier, so I ordered this. I talked with her before about it and when we got it, she now loves it. We only need it to light up for when it’s okay to get up and leave her room. It’s not too bright so if she wants to sleep later, she can & it stays lit up. It doesn’t make any sound when it lights up either. It also has loads of other features, but we don’t need them quite yet. She loves it and comes downstairs in the mornings now saying how she can come down because her clock turned green. It’s a success in my house!

Our issue was our daughter getting up too early in the morning, not so much getting her to go to sleep. She had been a great sleeper, and sleeping in until 7:30 naturally but around 2.5 she started getting up at 6ish and coming to wake us up.


We got a Mella, which worked like a charm. She stays in bed until it turns green and it's a bit helpful at bed time if she's trying to delay things ("Look, Mella has gone to sleep, that means it's time for you to go to sleep too").


Your mileage will vary of course. Some kids respond great to sleep training clocks, others couldn't care less.

Babyproof the hell out of the room, obviously.

Also, this clock works WONDERS for my 2.5y/o. It turns blue automatically for bedtime and yellow automatically when it's "morning" (whatever times you set), and it has a separate blue nap timer. It took about a week of, "Clock is blue; that means it's night time. Go back to bed, and we'll see you when the clock is yellow!" for him to get it, and now he stays in his room from 8pm-8am happily.

(Then he comes and wakes us up with a cheerful, "The clock is YELLOW!" and he's SO proud of himself, lol.)

We also had a lot of luck using the "Voice of God" (i.e., the microphone thing through the video monitor) -- every time he popped out of bed, we'd tell him without even opening the door to get back IN bed. That only took a couple of days. :)

There are a ton of them on Amazon, the most popular of which is the "OK to Wake!". It's $29, but for $10 more you can get an upgraded clock by the same company, the Teach Me Time which does all the stuff the OK to Wake! does but also has a real clock on it and will help your kid learn to read the time.

That said, I'm with /u/hadesarrow, a simple timer on a light or even one of those sunlight simulator alarm clocks would be a better investment. After all the cutesy kid alarm clock will be too babyish for them soon, but a real alarm clock with a sunrise simulator light (or plug for a lamp) will be useful forever.

Thanks, I do love the Detolf Cabinets as well. I need to get one more because I have a bunch of stuff in storage I would like to put out also.

The hammer is actually a bookend from Gentle Giant.
http://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Giant-Thor-Hammer-Bookend/dp/B00DQINF96

Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Alarm Clock for Kids, Red and Blue Sports Car https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TKLN46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2Ddryb0EBXF78

Check that alarm. I don't personally have that issue but the pediatrician I used to work with would recommend it.
With kids, everything works better if it gives them a sense of control of their actions and if it's almost like a game.
Just let him know that he can't get out of his bed until the light turns green unless he's having bad dreams or is afraid.

You don't actually have to buy the alarm but it's a great visual tool. You can come up with you own system that needs to be clear and simple.

Edit: multiple typos: apparently I can't make breakfast and type at the same time...

I bought one online about a year ago. It’s this little alien looking clock, very cute. Here’s the link. It had a nightlight, ok to wake light timer, nap timer. We have only used the okay to wake light when she was waking up wayyyyyy too early. She has since stopped that so we don’t used that anymore but she loves her clock. It’s funny. I’ll ask her what time it is and she’ll run upstairs and grab her clock and bring it down.

I'm sure you've heard about them but just in case, maybe trying alarm clock made to alert your child when it's okay to get out of bed? I hear they catch on pretty quick and just play in bed until the clock turns green... not that I have any personal experience because my son is still a baby .

LittleHippo Mella Ready to Rise Children's Sleep Trainer, Alarm Clock, Night Light and Sleep Sounds Machine (Arctic Blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Z4KFDR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gA4OCb31BWNE4

Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Xz4OCbSPQZBN5

There are two things.

First, this clock might help https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4 as she doesn't need to tell time to tell when it's OK to wake up. The clock optional though.

Second and most important, when she comes into your room during sleep time, you take her by the hand and without saying one word you walk her back to bed. Don't look at her and don't talk to her. If you do that consistently and warn her ahead of time that's how it will be, eventually she will stop coming into your room for attention she knows she won't get. Explain that she isn't to get out of bed except to go potty or when you wake her up (or her new clock lights up if you purchase that). It's vital that you are consistent with this new rule. Any inconsistency and it will be a failure.

My son came into our room every night for a short while. We tried this and it was huge success. But again, consistency is key. It also takes a bit of patience.

Ok, so being the father of two sets of twin boys in 11 months I felt compelled to chime in. This age was awful for bedtime. The kids are testing limits like crazy, so I turned this time into gametime.

My wife and I purchased this for both of our sets rooms: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TKLN46/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_iiwHub04WTZ8M. The idea is, when it's red - stay in bed. When it's green you can get up. Ours loved it. There was still issues after that occasionally, but we would just sit by the door and gently put them right back and remind them that when it's red...

Now they are ages 6 & 7 (had it since 2&3) and the clock still works. It's habit for them to see it and know visually when it's ok to get up / out of the bedroom. Totally worth the investment!

Sorry your going through this but with that said my daughter never slept more than a hour or two at a time until she was about 4 months old. Usually her pattern was sleep a hour then up a hour all during the day and then at night she sleep a hour from 9-10 and be up from 10pm-1am and then sleep 1am-3am and then start the up a hour and then sleep a hour. It was pure hell. Some babies just don't sleep well. Mine also wouldn't sleep unless held while I sat up or in a rock n play(id try one of these in your case it could Possibly help). she hated the bassinet and crib with a passion. Luckily I didn't have another child to deal with since she's my first and only. I also would go downstairs with her at night so the hubby could sleep and I'd sleep when he was done with work from 4pm-10pm because that was the only time I could get sleep! Also don't stress too much it will get better like I said 4 months was our turning point and by 10 months she was sleeping 7pm-7am without waking and still does at almost 2! I'd also work with the older child to stay in their room until at least 6am so you can all get sleep. They make special clocks that tell children when it's time to wake maybe get one for the older toddler! Here's a link to one of your interested https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

This isn't anything like what my friend has, but looks like it'd do the job and is way cuter than a disc on the wall https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

Boy, that's rough.

In our house we hold the line on getting out of bed or TV at night. Night time is for sleeping, period, no exceptions. I suspect he's more likely to try to stay awake if he knows doing something fun is an option.

Another thing that helped us, and might help you with nighttime wakings, was figuring out that our daughter had a really hard time understanding when it was morning/OK for her to get up. We blacked out her room because the slightest hint of sunlight made it impossible for her to sleep (which was rough in the summer when it was still light at bedtime and got bright before she ought to be waking). I mean, total blackout - we covered her windows with tin foil and covered that with blackout curtains. Then we gave her a clock similar to this one that lights up green when it's OK for her to get up in the morning. Overnight it made a huge difference.

I'm envious! There is a Dream/Death bookend at my local comic shop that I wish I could have. I think it's this [one](http://www.amazon.com/DC-Collectibles-Vertigo-Sandman-Bookends/dp/B00BWY1GHO "Sandman Bookend"). I can't complain too much, I mean I do have the complete collection as well as the complete collection of The Dreaming. In any event, great collection!

We gave my son one when he was about 2.5 years old. We used this one, and it worked very well for him. If we heard him get out of bed early in the morning, we could just yell (from our bed) "Is it green time?" and he would jump back in the bed. He also enjoyed the night light and silly-face features. Around 4 years old we introduced the wake-up alarm as part of teaching him to get himself ready. He figured out the snooze button all by himself. :)

He's 5.5 now, and we recently switched him to this wake-up clock that shows the digital time and an analog clock face together to help him learn to tell time.

Neither are cheap, but they work well and will last a long time. We passed the first one along to a nephew and expect it will be passed around to a few more kids before it's done.

Onaroo OK to Wake Alarm Clock and... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B002RNKOM2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

(I hope the link works, I’m on my phone) This is the one I bought. I love it! I originally bought it just because it was one of the cheaper options. It has a thing in the back that you have to open up to set the awake, alarm and time and once it’s closed there’s nothing my kid can touch on it that will mess with the settings. The buttons on the front are just to turn the light on (which will shut off on its own) or to turn the awake light off. It even has a setting for nap times but I’ve never used it. My kid loves it too, when we go away he asks me to bring it.

Our guy has always woken up early. We started using one of the Mirari OK to Wake lights around 14 months. The light turns on at a time you set. So you can at least try to explain that if the light isn't on yet, he should go back to sleep or play in his crib. It felt like when I came in must seem arbitrary to him otherwise because he would always wake up at a slightly different time. We set it for 6:45. All this said, he still tends to wake up early and wail after a while. I think we just have a baby that doesn't sleep that much. But we at least have something to stick to and it has helped. I walk right in after the little light has turned on so he builds that association. Amazon link here.

This worked incredibly well for us and now he’s sleeping longer too. Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light we’ve had 3 early wake ups (he had reasons) in 6 weeks so I call it a win.

I love this because it is red during sleep and green to wake.
Both my kids (3.5 & 2) follow it perfectly.

Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Alarm Clock for Kids, Red and Blue Sports Car https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TKLN46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_d8MmybNYC4H9S

My husband is an artist and there’s several in my family. We’re handling this in a few ways.

1. We have some rotating pieces that get stored in flat files (ex. A map cabinet or IKEA Alex wide low 6 drawer). We make sure to change out frames or gallery walls every 3-4 months.
   
   
2. If she wants to display new sketches or paintings regularly, consider a frame meant for kids’ artwork. They come in several sizes and when a new masterpiece is made, it gets put in the frame and the former masterpiece is tucked behind it in a safe way. Here’s a general example but lots of art stores make them.
   Easy Change kids frames
   
   
3. For large family photos and older artwork, it depends on the size. If they are bigger pieces, consider seeing if your local library has a flat scanner you can use to digitize the work. There are companies online that can do this for you if you like. Example: Digitize 2D Art
   
   I have no financial ties to these links. These are just things our family has looked into.

We had this problem with my daughter. She just turned 4. We bought her a clock that has worked wonders. It looks like a traffic light. The light is red at night and turns green in the morning when it's okay for her to get out of bed. The first few nights she came to us. I would just say "your light isn't green." And I walked her back to bed. After a few nights she got the idea.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Here's a link to the clock we bought:
https://www.amazon.com/Stoplight-Sleep-Enhancing-Groovy-Butterflies/dp/B002TKLN3W

You can get a an alarm that tells her when she can get out of bed.
Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Alarm Clock for Kids, Red and Blue Sports Car https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TKLN46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gEWxDb93HJN7K

I've read someone mention a ticket system where she gets one time to get out of bed.

There's weighted blankets for children that seem to help. I'm thinking of getting one for my 3 year old as he'll wake if he realizes I'm not cuddling with him.
Weighted Blanket for Toddler 3 lb 36x48 Cotton & Minky Premium Kids Heavy Blanket with Glass Beads https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PM3HBWT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UFWxDb8YS6P8Q
They're a little pricey though.
Best of luck!

Here's one I've read about on the parent listserv: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4. There are a few out there, same general concept, and I'll add them if I can remember their names.

Ha here's another for 60 freaking dollars but the reviews are very positive: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NC10YFA/

We love ours! We introduced it the same day we moved my daughter to her big girl bed so we never had the struggle of getting out of the bed.

We have this one.

It is this one!: https://www.amazon.com/Adorable-color-changing-night-light-children-families/dp/B002RNKOM2

You set it to a time (mine is at 6:15) and at that time it glows green for a half hour. At any other time, when you press one of the feet, it glows yellow (lasts about 20 mins or so, not on all night).

At night, I turn it on, remind my daughter that yellow means sleep, and we say night night to the “robot”. If she wakes before that time, I show her the yellow clock and say she needs to go back to bed till it is green. Works great!

OK to Wake clock. The clock turns yellow when it's time for bed and then green when it's okay to get out of bed. Great for the early birds come weekend times. We use it to have kiddo stay in bed an extra hour or so on the weekends cause he can wake at 630am no problem. We started using it at 5 years old for school, so we also use the actual alarm. He gets up just fine with it and gets ready for school mostly on his own. I personally hated (and still hate) being woken up by my parents (by my SO) vs an alarm and SS is so much like me I figured the alarm might be the best option. I'll try and leave a a Amazon link, if not you can Google OK to Wake.




https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_wCqSDbANMTMP9

We have 3 Lil DaVinci frames that we use on one of our family room walls. Our seven year old gets to decide which pictures he wants to display there, and we open up the frame and display them. The frames keep things looking a little cleaner, he takes pride in his work, and we actually receive a lot of compliments on the display.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Child-Artwork-Frame-Display-Masterpieces/dp/B000IF7JXS

We use one and it works great!

LittleHippo Mella Ready to Rise Children's Trainer, Alarm Clock, Night Light and Sleep Sounds Machine (Blush Pink) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Z5FHG9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6xeTDbJ4C79PP

I've heard good things about this stoplight alarm clock. I'm sure the DIY timer setup is cheaper, though!

We got the OK to Wake! clock for our not quite 3 year old a few weeks ago and it's a freaking miracle. She only comes out of her room before 7:30am now if she needs to pee (we're just in the early stages of toilet training actually working) and then she goes back into her room to wait for her clock to turn green.

It's also got a nap setting and it's starting to be effective for "quiet/alone/rest time" since she's not really napping every day anymore.

I got the Ok to Wake clock on sale at Target. It has worked pretty well so far. My LO knows not to get up until the bug is green. The only downside is that it turns off after half an hr so if he sleeps longer then he will yell instead of poking the button to see the time. Amazon has a ton of different options depending on function and budget. I just wanted something to light up when it was ok to get up but not sound an alarm. This is the one we have.

Ok to Wake clock

Amazon has a couple sleep training light/clock combos.

http://www.amazon.com/Onaroo-Childrens-Alarm-Clock-Nightlight/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1412281381&sr=1-1&keywords=sleep+trainer

If the end product is easy to use with the app and costs at least the same as the current solutions that don't have wifi you may have some biters.

We have two different kinds.

My son uses the Ok to Wake! clock. My daughter uses the Stoplight Sleep Enhancing Clock.

Really, they both work equally well. I slightly prefer the stoplight one because it can be plugged in - this keeps it in one spot and not roaming around the room. The Ok to Wake! clock gets dim when the batteries fade.

We got these for our boys. (Only the 3yo needed it)

LittleHippo Mella Ready to Rise Children's Trainer, Alarm Clock, Night Light Sleep Sounds Machine (Arctic Blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Z4KFDR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dGLrDbGJVF5CF

When he sleeps in his room all the way through the night, he gets a sticker on a board. Each sticker is a dollar and when he's saved up enough, he can buy a toy with what he's earned. It took one night before he slept all the way through.

He was struggling with the same thing after my ex-wife and I divorced, it's probably separation anxiety, he will learn that you are still there and it's ok to sleep in his own room. I agree with asking your ex to get him, at the very least, his own bed in the room and one of these clocks as well.

This is seriously cool, I want one for my desk now.

As far as I could tell, this is the cheapest ($39.99 free shipping) https://www.smile.amazon.com/Elecsmart-Bicycle-Fashioned-Clock-Dual-Operated/dp/B01IBAQ234/

We got our son this light when he was 3, and love it.

My 3 YO has responded really well to getting one of these. If she's up early now she'll just play in bed or read unless she needs the bathroom, and is fine going back to bed if the light isn't green yet. Obviously it won't work for every kid, but it might be worth a shot.

It might be worth trying a toddler clock like this one.

My sister-in-law has this alarm clock made for little kids that tells them when it's ok to be awake. Her house rule is that until it says it's ok, they have to stay in their room and be quiet. I think this clock might be the one (if not, it's something similar).

Around that age I introduced the Okay To Wake Clock because my son also fancied a 5:30am wake time.

I set it for near the time my son was already waking up and we talked about what it meant- we get to wake up when the green light is on but if we wake up and the light isn't on yet we have to lay back down and sleep/rest. Then I started moving the wake time back 10 minutes or so. In the beginning, there was 10 minutes of screaming and crying and I would go in to pat him on the back and lay him back down, but I persisted.

He's 20 months old now and this thing is an ingrained part of our routine. The light on his clock is set to go off at 6:45am. If he wakes up sooner he looks at his light and will lay back down to sleep or quietly play in his crib (I have seen him do this on the monitor). The nice thing is the light is gentle enough that he frequently sleeps past the light until 7:15-7:30.

There have been periods of time in the last 8 months of retraining or adjustment- we recently moved his bedtime back 1 hour, for example- but this little device has done so much for us... especially as sunrise comes earlier and earlier!

A nutrition/mom page I follow on Instagram recommended this ok to wake light but im curious what other alarm/lights people use

It's OK to Wake!

I picked up one of these for kid's artwork and was pretty impressed with the build quality. Its got a small latch that lets you open up the front and the body is spring loaded and can hold a stack of documents pushed up firmly against the glass when closed. The sizing isn't quite right for you but they might be able to custom or pick a different size.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IF7JXS/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_dp_1

there's the clothes valet (the wooden stand that has a top shaped like a wooden hanger) which I associate with men't suit jackets and trousers. It doesn't hold a lot but it could hold them until the morning or the next eening, at which point you could move them to a hanger.

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There's the valet hook, which mounts on the wall and folds down. And one that hooks over the closet door.

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There are over-the-door valet rods and over-the-door hooks.

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There's a slide-out valet rod that mounts to a side wall (as in a closet system)

This device is just as effective for kids as soon as they know colors.

Toddler alarm clock! This is the one we got: https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=sr_1_1

It glows green when they're allowed to get up. My daughter was waking up earlier and earlier, so we bought this for her. After a few days she learned that she couldn't get up until it was green and it was glorious.

We use framed boarders for all the art in the house. Some of the framed borders are magnetized for use on the fridge, some are special art frames but some are just ordinary cork boards with wooden frames. When a new art project comes home, we say "Which one do we replace?" and throw the old art away. All art must be framed! Haven't had any trauma yet over this approach in 4 years. And if we had kept everything from the past four years for both kids, we'd have BOXES of paper by now.

I use an Okay to Wake alarm clock my son, every day of the week. Greatest invention ever.

We just got an "ok to wake" alarm clock & night light. The nightlight has a timer on it (we set ours to 1 hour) and my son (almost 5) goes over and hits the button to turn it on if he wakes up and its dark. We just got this, but it gives him a level of control over the dark that seems to be helping him.

The other thing I saw that I am considering making with my son for a craft is this star-glow bottle - it uses hair gel, glow paint, and plastic glow in the dark stars, and will softly glow for an hour or so after they go to bed, and can be held by the child. By putting the stars in, it gives the child an activity (count the stars) to focus on which helps distract them.

We got this.

Use Rechargeable batteries in it. It's been fine

Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lNgTDbFCS0KC1

Do you have some sort of "ok to wake" clock? If your kids are rule followers, this might work. R treats her clock like the boss so it really helped with our transition.

They have it on Amazon.

Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Ygn2Cb62T9ZXK

I got one of those "ok to wake" clocks that is also a night light and white noise machine. Here's the one we ended up getting: LittleHippo Mella Ready to Rise... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DVYVRXW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Not the cheapest ($50), but can help you to start rewiring their sleep habits. I know you probably came here just to vent, but sleep deprivation has lots of long term health consequences. There's a reason why it was used as a torture method. You and your kids deserve better! Might be worth adjusting over a vacation, weekend, or when you have grandparents to help so you can fight the good fight for the sake of everyone's well-being.

My daughter has a really great alarm clock. This is it. It has a light that comes on when it's ok to get up.

It also has an option for an audible alarm and snooze for older kids.

We got the OK to Wake clock mentioned above when our son was a bit over 2 years old. It works well for him. I like that we can set not only what time the light comes on, but how long it stays lit. It won't wake him up (as in, if he's sleeping and the light comes on, it's not bright enough to startle him awake), but it does let him know when it's OK to get out of bed when he does wake up naturally.

We got this one (Mirari Ok to Wake)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=asc_df_B00EAHSBV45449986/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00EAHSBV4&linkCode=df0&hvadid=192246360916&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3621069812604162598&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016823&hvtargid=pla-304712359857

OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jLyTzb77NXC94

1. Make the bed his/her personal place. Our child picked out sheets, picked out the blanket, selects stuffed animals to take to bed, etc.
   
   
2. Have a night-time routine including reading to the child in his/her bed.
   
   
3. We've had a lot of luck with this color changing alarm clock: our child will stay in bed waiting for the color to change.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Childrens-Alarm-Clock-Nightlight/dp/B002RNKOM2

We have this one. Works well enough, but I think you can only set one “wake up time.”

https://www.amazon.com/Mirari-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

We got a stoplight one with a car on it. Red light / green light worked at that age for our guy. Didn't have to cut down the nap (but we have a standard 2.5 hour nap) or go to bed later. We went from 4:30 am wake ups to 6:45 over the course of a week. It was a total life saver.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002TKLN46/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496873682&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=stoplight+alarm+clock&dpPl=1&dpID=41Lmm9mgqcL&ref=plSrch

We have an Ok To Wake clock. They know not to leave their room in the morning (except to go potty) until the light turns green at 7:30.

That clock is my #1 priority on Sunday night. And we might let them stay up a little later too.

case handle or chest handle

Edit: not an exact match to the one you posted

Psst

http://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

Did you have one of these? I was just thinking about getting one last night.

This simple one should do. Some also use the Hatch nightlight.

This is the one we bought.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TKLN46/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TgbLBb3P1PT8Z

For the issue of older siblings getting up, we bought this:

https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

When the light is green, you can get out of bed. If you get out before then you are sent back to bed. She only leaves her room the moment that light turns green.

$180 on Amazon.

YTA, you need to get one of these frames ( https://www.amazon.com/Child-Artwork-Frame-Display-Masterpieces/dp/B000IF7JXS ) and hang up every piece of art she makes for a while.

Do it!

https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

We have this one;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EAHSBV4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503004372&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=onaroo+ok+to+wake&dpPl=1&dpID=313t01qTlzL&ref=plSrch

We're having the same problem with my 2.5 year old. I've heard that something like this helps.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EAHSBV4#Ask

We got this one for our daughter when she turned two, and we’ve been using it for about eight months. It took a while for her to grasp the concept of it (“green means go/wake up time” or “if you wake up and there’s no green light, it’s still sleep time”) but for the most part, it works for us. We still remind her every night when we say our goodnights (“good night/sweet dreams/see you when the clock turns green”), just to stay consistent.

I do get up earlier than her wake up time, and on days where she does wake up before the clock, I do see her just hanging out in her bed and waiting for the green light.

We had a similar issue with our 3 year old and ended up getting a clock that lit up at a time that we set. He no longer gets up at the butt crack of dawn and it can even work for when he needs a nap.

Here is the clock we got.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RNKOM2/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We used this one with a girl in a similar situation. It can be set to be an alarm clock or just change colors. http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Childrens-Alarm-Clock-Nightlight/dp/B002RNKOM2

Here is one example: http://www.amazon.com/Stoplight-Sleep-Enhancing-Alarm-Sports/dp/B002TKLN46

Just Google stoplight alarm clock for toddlers and there's a bunch of different ones.

[This one?] (PICTEK Kids Alarm Clock, Time to Wake Up Children's Trainer LED Digital Clock with Night Light and Snooze Function 12/24 Format for Bedrooms Toddler Boys Girls (AC Adapter Included) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXM21SN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.-2MDb6DS92VX)

NTA.

Have you tried one of the “okay to wake” alarm clocks?

example

We own this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Mirari-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4

Upside: 'green means go' is a mantra that our 2 year old gets.

Downside: it only stays green for 30 mins, so if your LO sleeps in, and misses the green window, you're all SOL.

You can move his bedtime a little later to shift his clock (might take a while to take effect) or shorten his naptimes a little bit so he's more tired at night.

You can also start teaching him to stay in bed, even when awake, with a certain kind of clock:

https://www.amazon.com/OK-Wake-Alarm-Clock-Night-Light/dp/B00EAHSBV4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496853107&sr=8-3&keywords=wake+up+clock

This one is yellow when it's still time to sleep and then glows green when it's time to get up. No need for him to be able to tell time, just let him know that he needs to stay quiet in his bed until the light turns green.

You might try one of those toddler alarm clocks, like this. Kids have no sense of time so they have no idea when they should be awake or asleep.

Have you tried one of those [toddler alarm clocks](OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night-Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4/)? 20 months old should be old enough for them to understand the color change and when it's time to get up.


For black out curtains, In our case, we had to cover up the windows with dark paper in addition to curtains to get full black out.

Yikes! We just got one of these when my little guy started screaming for us at that time. Now he at least waits until the green light goes on and starts screaming for us at 7am.

Maybe try an ok to wake nightlight? Might not stop the 4am wakeup right away, but it should help. My 12 month old is also down to 1 nap/day on the weekdays (takes 2 on weekends when we are at home) and goes down between 6:30 - 7 each night. We try not to get him out of his room until after 5 when we wake up, and his ideal wake time is 5:30. Unless he is screaming we don't go get him until 5. I also don't go to him in the middle of the night anymore unless I know he is sick or something. He settles back to sleep in like 5-10 minutes and then I'll go in, check his diaper and cover him back up while he is asleep. It's working for right now but as soon as he starts the 4am bullshit again, I'm buying that damn nightlight/clock thing!

I posted this in another thread so I am just going to copy and paste it here: We had the same sleep training problems with my daughter. We had tried a lot of different tactics. Out of desperation I bought this nightlight from amazon. http://www.amazon.com/My-Tot-Clock-MTC00/dp/B001QS802K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1379914138&sr=8-6&keywords=okay+to+wake

It is a bit pricey, but like I said I was despererate. There are cheaper ones with the same concept. It took about a week of walking her back to her room and explaining that she has to stay in her bed until the yellow light comes on. On this clock you can set the time the blue light comes on for bedtime and what time the waking light comes on. Now she will stay in bed with no problem unless she has a really bad nightmare then she knows she can come get me. It took me a week to get used to her not coming and getting me in the middle of the night. That first night I slept all the way through the night I couldn't believe it.