Bedtime horrors with 3.5yr old DS

[findyourbacon]

How do you keep a bouncy 3.5yr old in bed? Until recently we've been sitting with our DS at bedtime until he fell asleep. The trouble being this could take c2 hours a night. So we realised that this method wasnt really helping him get to sleep and we actually wanted our evenings back. The last few days we've been leaving him in his bed with lullabies to listen to, but he's just up and out so many times. I've been trying the rapid return method but he just turns this into a game eventually, and ends up giggling and trying to get me playing catch! I'm trying to be calm and not react but it's quite exhausting.

Any tips? Or just reassurance that it will get easier (it has to!!)

It will get easier, but it might take a little while! Our elder DD was a nightmare at bedtime... We just went for the silent return, trying not to interact with her at all (don't say anything or make eye contact if possible). Be as dull as possible! I'd sometimes save boring jobs like putting washing away in our room to do at bedtime, which I thought probably didn't seem as interesting to her as if we were downstairs watching TV. Also meant I was closer at hand to put her back to bed. Lots of praise the next day when she did finally manage it too. Our younger daughter never really got out of bed at all, and just seemed to be able to settle herself from a really young age - so different, even though we did pretty much the same with them both. Good luck!