Bedtime Battle

frustratedmom Said,

My three year old does not want to go to bed, and it seems like we battle it out every night. I hate ending the day like this all the time.

I set up a routine to try to make it easier (about 2 months ago). First there is bedtime snack, then I give her a bath, then we brush teeth, then we put on pajamas, then I read her 2 stories. It all goes well up until I am done with the second story and then the tears and temper flares up.

Any advice?

beenthere Said,

What exactly is your daughter doing? I mean does she get out of bed or just throw a fit?

What do you do when she gets upset?

frustratedmom Said,

She usually gets out of bed once or twice but she screams and yells for a good 45 minutes before crying herself to sleep.

When she gets out of bed I walk her back in and tuck her in again, I try to ignore the tears and yells. I may peak in once or twice to make sure she is okay though (she doesn't usually see me peak in).

beenthere Said,

I think you are doing well in establishing a bedtime routine. Do you think your daughter is getting enough sleep? Does she take naps?

frustratedmom Said,

She takes naps most afternoons, for some reason naptime is not as big a battle as bedtime is.

momof5 Said,

Does your daughter say why she doesn't want to go to sleep? If she takes naps nicely but doesn't want to go to bed maybe she is scared of the dark but not telling you that. Does she have a nightlight or a special stuffed animal she can take to bed?

mom72 Said,

My son all of a sudden threw fits at bedtime for awhile and I never did figure out why. He was always yelling for me, I knew he didn't really need me so I did not go in, I could peak in without him seeing me and see he was all right as well.

What I finally did was tell him if he called for me I would come in one time but that was all. So he should save that one time of hollering for me for if he really needed me. I also made sure when he was going to bed he had everything he needed a drink of water, his special blanket, he was tucked in just so, etc.

He tested it for a few days and saw that I did indeed come right away the first time he called but not after that. I don't know if he just needed the reassurance that I would be there if he needed him or what but our bedtimes have settled down now. Only when he gets over tired do we struggle a bit.

frustratedmom Said,

She doesn't have a nighlight, maybe that would help a bit. I leave the hall light on but maybe that isn't enough to reassure her, plus after she is asleep and I go to bed I turn it off.