Bedtime Routine for 7 yr old dd

[mumbi]

Has anyone got any bright ideas as to helping my dd settle at night. I know she is older now but still feel 9.30pm is to late - she is also so tired and stroppy every day. She used to settle pretty well in her room (after a bath and stories with me on our bed) and would read on her own for 10-15mins and then after a couple of false starts go to sleep about 7-7.30pm Now every night is a battle with her coming down every 5-10 mins saying she doesn;t feel well, or she has had a nightmare, then the tears start and she has even taken to banging on the floor and when we go upstairs pretending the noise was her falling out of bed - my husband and i like our evenings to much just to ignore all this Any suggestions?

Ignore ignore ignore! Give her 20 mins reading time, but reduce this by 5 mins for each interruption. If she plays up AFTER the 20 mins reading time deduct it from the next dya's reading time. Put her to bed earlier than you curretnly do 'if you're going to behave like a baby then you need to go to bed at the same time as a baby, if you can be a big girl then you get big girl's bed time'.

Why not try story tapes from the library - My DS8 has always had a tape on at bedtime - helps him wind down, takes his mind off things and he usually falls aslepp listening to it. I finish bath, teeth, chat and reading by 7.30pm and he goes to his room then and can have his tape on - he is usually asleep by 8pm. He sometimes reads whilst listening to it as well!

My son was a nightmare at 7 (now 8)at bedtime. The crying/getting out/'tummy hurts' etc was going on til past 10 every night. What worked was a star chart that he helped make..he came up with the treats himself and at first it was 'stay in bed one night get treat next day. this was for a week. then it was 3 nights in a row, then a week then it had worked.

they need to break the bad habit. Maybe 7.30 is too early forher/ its 7.10 now and my son is out playing. He has a bed time of 9-9.15 and is allowed to read for a few mins by himself which usually sends him to sleep.

one thing i would say is that the threat of punishment ie if you dont go to sleep now you'll not whatever tomorrow, does NOT work.
Whereas, ok you got out of bed tonight, but hopefully you wont tomorrow, and you'll get that star then. Don't focus too much on the short term ie 'tonight' look to future when her stress levels have reduced and bedtime is a nice time. Persevere and it does work. good luck.

Thanks for your comments - this was the 1st message I have ever done and I was really grateful to get feedback - this is a great website!! I will try your suggestions.