STM+'s - I need your help!

[nchauhan]

I have no advice as a FTM, but just wanted to send some good vibes! That sounds terrible, I hope it passes soon!!

[wegrowsheep]

Normal.

She's right between 2 and 3 and that's a tough age. My 4 yo DS still has tantrums about being taken back to his bed at night.

As far as bedtime length goes, does she still nap? Both of mine are holy terrors at bedtime if they nap, because they aren't as tired. DD stopped naps at 2, DS1 just stopped scheduled naps about a month ago.

Hang in there, it does get better. But yeah, I hate those screaming bloody murder tantrums. It's like they just totally lose their mind. DS1 has even drawn blood scratching DH.

[wegrowsheep]

It wouldn't be unusual for it to be acting out either. My niece started doing something similar when she got bumped out of the baby position last year right before she turned 3. My biggest thing with my 2 is consistency, and making sure they know it isn't okay. When DS1 gets physco, I walk away and shut the door. Being mad is okay, and being sad is okay, but being hurtful and crazy is not. So when he calms down a little, we resume negotiations. (leaving DD out of this, as she is my 6 yo drama queen)

If you think she legit needs more attention, do something with just her, but then do a family activity too. Everyone likes attention, and everyone needs love EVEN MOMMY!

[Deleted]

DS did this for an entire month last month and then now I noticed his verbal skills have grown suddenly. I think 2-3 is just an age where they are learning and processing so much new information and they are also testing boundaries with parents. Our solution was just to let DS sleep with us when he woke up (usually at 4am) then I would either keep him there or carry him back to his bed. This month he has mostly stopped doing it. I'm so sorry you are going through this.

I did read from sleep experts that it's very important developmentally that toddlers go to bed between 6-8pm. This means asleep by then not laying in bed. Have you heard this too? I find it's easier to put him to sleep between 7-730. Once we miss this window it then turns into 9pm bedtime because he gets overexcited

[Deleted]

I am absolutely no help because when DS1 did that at the same age I just let him move into my bed with me. I was a single parent at the time and it was the only way I could get any sleep. I hope you find a solution for her soon.

[Widget123]

We've been letting DD fall asleep in our bed again and then trying to move her, which sometimes works but sometimes doesn't. Then if she comes back in the MOTN we've been letting her stay. Its not what we want to be doing in the long term, but we need to get some sleep.

[Widget123]

The 6pm-8pm bedtime for toddlers sounds a little ridiculous to me. DD wakes up on weekdays around 5:15am, which I venture to say is probably earlier than most of her peers, and even she isn't ready for bed until around 8pm. The idea of putting her to bed at 6pm is unfathomable.

[Deleted]

we have many nights where he fights us on bedtime too. The only thing I noticed that seems to work is to be consistent and say the same thing over and over.

So our thing is every night when we are in his room I only read 1 book now or sometimes no book. I noticed more books gets him less sleepy and more excited. Then he gets in bed and I say ' who do you want to say goodnight to?' Then I let him talk for a while about randoms things and after 5 min of that I say ' ok it's quiet time now close your eyes'.

like a broken record I just say it over and over until he finally is quiet. This can sometimes take a while. But it's getting better the fact that I say the same thing every night. So he knows whatever he does I'm still not giving in.

[clbehenna]

Sept 18, 2015 10:58:51 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

The 6pm-8pm bedtime for toddlers sounds a little ridiculous to me. DD wakes up on weekdays around 5:15am, which I venture to say is probably earlier than most of her peers, and even she isn't ready for bed until around 8pm. The idea of putting her to bed at 6pm is unfathomable.

I agree with this. DS1 wakes up around 7, still takes a 1-2 hr nap every day, and is nowhere near ready for bed until 8-8:30.

[ashbash]

I know Im a little late chiming in but wanted to second the advice of saying the same thing, no negotiations, no convo back and forth.

Also some of my friends have had good luck with this color change alarm clock...... www.amazon.com/Wake-Childrens-Alarm-Clock-Nightlight/dp/B002RNKOM2

Also I dont know if you have a white noise machine but it might help with the toddler crying not waking up the baby

Good luck!

[silv3rlining]

I think a lot of PPs covered it. There is a 2 year sleep regression. I found a good post about it recently that said a lot of parents think their kids are ready to have their bedtime pushed back but the natural rhythm of a 2 year old is for bedtime to be around 7/730. We also had pushed DSs bedtime back and it made things worse. A lot of it is they're are learning/developing so much that their brains interrupt their sleep. Just continue to be consistent and it will get better over time. DS has been waking MOTN as well (which he really hasn't done since 10/11 months old), unless he carries on for a while I don't go in. I usually just tell him over the monitor that it's still night night time and to go back to bed.

[tatersalad]

2-3 is such a hard age. We just hit 3 and my kid still sleeps in a crib because he will stay in there. I have no interest in fighting to get him to go to bed among all our other battles, so I'm screwed once he finally works up the courage to climb out. Sammyca my kid also went semi nude during winter months because of clothing battles, so I just play along. He wore his shirt inside out all day today and it annoyed the shit out of me, but no meltdowns.

[Deleted]

sammyca i would just let her wear them but don't overly praise her for it and she will grow out of it. My niece is turning 4 in March and she just stopped dressing like a princess everyday and recently declared that she is batman.

+1 add me to the no pants wearing club. This dude is nude around the house and proud.

[wegrowsheep]

sammyca This is my girl to a t. She is now six, and has plenty of dresses for every day wear, vs her frilly dress up ones. And let's not forget skirts, leggings, belts....
I was not a girly girl. She is. Maybe find some nice blue things that are pretty, since those are the colors that Merida and Cinderella wear? DD's favorite "princess" is Astrid from HTTYD, so we have been known to play up the warrior princess look.

And if all else fails, take lots of pictures and pray she has a daughter someday