After Toddler Wakes Up...

My daughter's been awake for 20 minutes now in her crib, while I'm reading mamapedia. She is like me and doesn't like being approach when she first wakes up. She needs that time to get her bearing. I used to go in right away and she would be cranky and unbearable. Now that I give her some time, she is much happier when I go to get her. She's never gotten made at me for leaving her, and sometimes she'll ask me to leave if she's not ready to get out. (she's 2).

I think it is good. it helps teach him patience and also some independence. i would put a few toys in my oldests crib, on the opposite end of where he slept, after he was asleep. this helped for if he woke up in the middle of the night he would usually play for awhile till he fell back asleep, typically no more than 10 - 20 minutes. but mostly for the morning. i would hear him in his room playing with his toys when he woke up and it gave me time to myself in the morning or to get something done. you could transition him to a toddler bed and then when he wakes up in the morning he could play in his room. our oldest was in a toddler bed by the time he was 17 months old.

my rule of thumb is: if they wake up crabby/complaining, then obviously they need to go back to sleep....or need a little bit more downtime on their own.

I think this is ok. I do this same thing with my 8 mo old DD. She likes to try and sit up, which takes awhile, and then she likes to babble and wave and play at her piano. If she is happy doing all this, I don't go in. I finish what I am doing, make her a bottle, etc and then when I am ready I go in there. It could be 10-20 minutes. I know when I wake up I don't like to be talked to right away or approached quickly so I think she should get the same allowance to wake up if she is happy! Good luck!

I think its just fine. I did this with my son all the time. I would go into him and give him some toys/books to look at while I was finishing doing whatever I was doing at the time. He had no problem with it and it worked great for us. I would then go in and play with him a little and when he was ready- get him out of the crib. I think it teaches them to be patient and to entertain themselves. If he was crying or upset- then that's a different story, but as long as they are happy- then let him stay in there a little while.

It's fine if he is fine with it. DS used to wake up and babble to his stuffed animals for sometimes 30 minutes in the morning. It was adorable. We would sneak over without him seeing to hear what he was saying. He would tell them it was breakfast time and give them hugs.

I did want him to know that if he cried we would come right away. Not sure why one wouldn't want a child to have that security.

I would say not as long as he's not crying and you know he's okay. My 15 month old will lay/sit/stand in his crib and talk to everythign in his room sometimes for that long when he's ready he'll say MAMA!!! THe cutest thing ever! Now if he wakes up crying or says MAMA right away I'll go get him. However we don't want him to think just becuase he crys well get him! I think youre fine as long as you know he is!

I do the same, allow him about 15 minutes...because once he hears me the day is on, lol!! He plays quietly and contently with his bears and pillow pet, I hear him humming and talking to them ; ) His feelings would be hurt only if he didn't get to get up once he hears me.

My daughter likes to play in her bed for a bit before getting out of it. When she is ready she lets me know Nana..Nana.. (she can't pronounce the M). Of course I have poked my head in and spoken to her, but she is happy in their, so I finish what I am doing and get her breakfast ready.

If DD was really upset, I'd bring her to the room I was in. If she was awake but not yelling, then she could play in her bed for a few minutes.

My daughter's Pediatrician is a behavior specialist and she says never put a child down for bed a sleep and if they cry when put down ...they must cry for a "solid" 15 min then you can go in check on them, reassure everythings is ok and start again. The same thing goes for when they wake up....give them 15 min. then go get them.