For a while, it felt like the first hour after bedtime was spent putting my toddler back in his bed. This is exhausting — but so important! Mitchell suggests that as you're walking your toddler back to their room, remind them it's time to sleep. Parents can also sit on their child's bed and rub their back, remind them they are safe, and tell them goodnight again.
"This will certainly be a test of patience as you walk your child back to their room for the 25th time, but after enough consistency your child will learn to respect this boundary," Mitchell said. "If it gets to the point that the child is completely overtired and parents are spending hours walking their child back to their room, it may be a better option just for that night to have the parent(s) stay in the child's room until they fall asleep and then try again the next night."
