Advice for 28 month old not letting me leave the room?

[GreenBooks]

We are having a nightmare with our 2 year old (28 months) at the moment and I just wondered if anyone has any successful tips to offer? (First child).

She's really resisting her bedtimes and also waking up lots of times in the night and wanting me to stay in the room. It seems to all be worse when I do her bath and bed and put her down, and she's a bit easier with my husband. I'm not sure if it's to do with separation anxiety. Trouble is my husband works away often and so for half the week I am there by myself.

When we are both at home and she calls out at night, if DH goes in she'll cry no , tell him to go away and scream for mummy.

The nights he's put her down, I'm not sure if it's just coincidence but she has slept through. She still resists bed time with DH but is quicker to go to sleep than with me.

Basically I am having trouble leaving the room. I try saying I've got to do X and I'll come back in 5 minutes but she screams out as soon as my hand touched the door knob! If I persist and leave she cries. I go in and out for hours at bedtime. Then in the small hours she wakes up and then won't let me leave again.

I'm feeling like a zombie and pretty rough. For some reason DD is happy as Larry in the mornings still!

But does anyone have anything else I can try?

Bump

Tragic bump

28 months 😂😂😂😂😂

Bit rude. There's a huge difference between a just turned 2 year old and one who is 3 next month.

OP, no advice really as my 2 yr old DS categorically will not go to sleep unless I'm in bed with him. He was having meltdowns every night with multiple wake ups until I gave in and let him cosleep. Now he's off to sleep in 10 minutes and sleeps through. Have you tried just sitting with her until she falls off? It might be less painful than all the tears and in and out routine.

She cries, leave anyway. Leave for 5 minutes. Go back and lie her down without making eye contact. Say it's bed time now and leave. Rinse and repeat until she sleeps. Really difficult to keep out for the required 5 minutes but she needs to learn to get herself to sleep. Leaving the door ajar (if she stays in bed) or having inane conversations with DH outside the door so she knows you are still around can help.

Ridiculous and uncalled for.

I find it "😂😂😂😂😂" that you felt the need to comment that.

I don't have any helpful advice OP but just wanted to highlight how mean I find the above comment.

Stop going In and out and don't tell her your coming back. Give her a kiss and tell her you will see her in the morning. If she screams and you go in and check on her then your teaching her that her screaming works. You need to be firm. May take a few weeks.

28 months, so a 2.5 yo? Ignore and put a stair gate over her open door, and use the baby monitor.

Thanks for the responses.

Yes I specified months as there is a vast difference between just turned 2 and nearly 3.

She did used to be able to go to sleep by herself - that's the frustrating thing. We have months of her doing just that easily and happily. Recently she's just changed and doesn't want to be left.

I've tried just sitting next to her for an easy life, but she reacts to my presence like it's playtime and gets all silly and distracted

I will just keep saying bedtime and leaving the room I think. Hard but can't see any other solution!

You probably won't like this reply but we resorted to co sleeping! Which we embraced in the end, it was a lovely bonding time and everyone got a great night's sleep.

I forgot to reply to those suggestions about co-sleeping. Unfortunately it definitely doesn't work for us. For some reason my DD is really really silly (!) and when I tried this she found the whole thing hilarious and was jumping up and down in our bed, singing and poking her daddy in the eyes

She definitely sleeps better in her own bed when she actually sleeps!