Bringing in the law

When David was born, Steve and I did not change too much. In other words, we just went on doing what we were doing and added David into the mix. We did not have 'schedules' when it came to sleeping for David. We were lucky that he slept through the night at 3 weeks old, so why mess with what was working. He would eat every 3 to 4 hours and sleep when he was tired. If we were out, he'd fall sleep in the stroller or car seat and go into the crib when we got home. That all worked out fine until he hit about 2 1/2. By now, he had a big boy bed and was used to staying up late with us. He was no longer napping during the day, so by 7 pm he was on the cranky and miserable side. However, he WOULD NOT go to bed. We tried rewards and charts but it did not work. We even tried taking things away - nothing. So we lived with it all this time. He will 5 next Wednesday and start Kindergarten in September. So, last week I had a talk with him. I explained that he is the only child I know without a bed time. I told him that it is required to have a bed time and sleep in his own bed to attend Kindergarten. I told him that as of June 1, he would be going to bed at 8 pm. I'd read him a story, give him is bedtime drink (strawberry milk) and it was off to bed. I also made him a calendar on a wipe off board that Steve hung on the inside of his closet door so that if he went to bed on time, slept through the night and brushed his teeth, he would get a check mark. After 7 checks in a row, he could pick a prize. Well, last night was our first attempt and all went well. He had his milk, I read him 2 stories, we turned on his music and eventually, he fell asleep. I was not home when he woke up, but I made sure to tell Steve to make a BIG deal about his accomplishment. And he did. David was very happy to be able to give himself a checkmark on his calendar. I hope he can keep it up.