I've put my stubborn 3 year old to bed early, half dressed with no dinner!!

[mummyloveslucy]

My 3 year old daughter always plays up when I want her to get changed ready for bed. She refuses to let me put her nappy on or undress her. She is so anoying! I try counting to five and if she dosn't co- operate, I take her bear away which she dosn't like. I've just tried to get her changed and she was making such a fuss and refusing to do as she was told so I've put her streight to bed 1 hour early without any dinner. She's wearing her long sleved top and a nappy. She is fine in there, she's settled well as always.
She is as good as gold during the day and sleeps very well at night, but it's the getting dressed/ undressed that she never wants to do. When I'm at my most tired and worn out, she plays up. What should I do?
She will probubly wake up later and want some food, I hope. Then I'll give her her dinner and put some warm PJ's on her.
I'd be really greatfull for any tips to help with this, I didn't want to put her in bed half dressed with no dinner. But I was at the end of my tether.

ds is a little younger bit we give him "power" so to speak over some of the aspects of taking a bath, for instance at the moment he can use a step to climb into the bath by himself. Sometimes he gets to play with the shower head, (he has also "scared" dh with his willy sometime) that was just to get him to take the damn thing off! I also leave bath until after dinner, so once his cleaned and dressed its straight to bed. No chance to play more (until he catches on and plays up).

sorry meant "to take the nappy off not his willy".

Thanks, I'll leave getting her dressed for beb untill after dinner, at least that way if she plays up and I put her in bed early. At least she's had her dinner. I've always gon for a very strict no nonsence approach, but now even taking her bear away dosn't bother her. She sees it as one big joke.
Do you think giving her a choice of PJ's would help?

hiya, have you tried just talking through it? Like saying "ok in a little while we will have tea, then put our Pjs on" ( you can use this as an excuse to get yours on too and she will love copying mummy). then after tea say" right tea is all done, lets get out pjs on now then we can have a story!" make it fun and she will have known in her head its going to happen as you have told her before, it wont seem like such a "shock".....alternatively, try and put her pjs on earlier so she doenst associate them with bed or play time running out. My DS gets his on a good 2 hours before bed, and I always tell him what I am doing well in advance.....just a suggestion...they are good at acting up when you are tired!!!

i would get her to choose pj's for after dinner put them on rad to keep them warm

so annoyed i wrote long thread on what i do with my ds comp shut down so right i'll do it shoprt hand now

we play game i say i bet you cant get your top off i'll close my eyes count to 10 and see if you can

then same for bottoms

then shall mummy see if she can get clean anppy on in 10

then do you want to put pj's on or mummy help

if he cant do it he'll say help but lots of praise and he loves the fun factor of it

pick your fights as the more stressed we get the more uninjoyable it becomes for them as they will assosiate pj time as stressful time

have dinner first then get the warm pj's and do the independant thing with lots of praise

might not work but ds loves the fun factor and the praise and i dont stress and it becomes an enjoyable time for both of us good luck

Some great tips, thanks everyone.