Bedtimes are turning into a nightmare....DS headbanging and crying...

[PussinJimmyChoos]

DS is just over two...he was always pretty good at going to bed but lately he goes into hysterics at bed time. We have a good routine going, bum change, last milk, brush teeth and then a bed time story.

However, as soon as I've finshed one story, he wants another...and another...I'll read about 4 and then say ok, its time for bed now and leave the room. That's when the hysterics start...he head bangs the cot (he has bruises) and generally gets hysterical.

DH is in favour of letting him cry it out but I just cannot do that. He's whinging now as I type (DS that is!)...help!

I think this is very common at this age, have read a few things on here about this! My ds did it too and how we got round it was by sitting in with him after stories. He knew I would only stay while he was laying down for sleep - if he got up, I made as if to go so he always knew that I was only there for him dropping off. It worked fine for us. I used to read a book while I sat in there.

We tried to leave ds but he was so distressed that I couldn't see the point of ruining all our evenings when I could sit in with him and all was calm!

my DS1 was sooooo similar!

He is now 2.10 and we the way we worked him out of it was by lwtting him know at the beginning how many stories he is going to have,

let him chose the last one

and then reminding him which is the last one

and reminding him again that the last one is coming up

and finally reading it and that being that... we incorporated last one into everything

and it worked,

same thing works with the 5 minute rule ..ie he is playing/swimming/at a party etc ... we're going soon - last time to ..play etc

oh yes good point noonki, make bedtime an absolute rock solid routine eg 2 stories EVERY night so that he gets to know it's useless to lobby for more!

I've just left him for about 5 mins and he's fallen asleep...now I'm feeling really guilty that he's gone to sleep upset....

Whinging then going to sleep is ok tho I think? Not like you left him yelling for hrs on end.

DS would have you reading all night too. We have a strict 2 stories rule here, and we make sure that we tell him that after the last one he is going in his bed (he usually disagrees, but gets the message eventually).

Oh gawd no, wasn't for more than 10 mins although it felt a LOT longer.....Dh wants to take a tougher stance on it all but I just can't....I'm going to try the this is the last story thing and see how that goes...

go with you instincts !

We go with the two stories rule too.

We also have two songs once ds is lying down - he doesn't get them unless he is lying down. The benefit of having songs for us is that I can switch the light off and sing the songs in semi-darkness - which means that we're half way to a nice dark situation suitable for going to sleep in (for him - no nightlight).

I hope that you sort something out

I've tried singing to him...but I sound like a cat being murdered and now he's that much older, he no longer tolerates it...'mummy noooo noooo'.....

We leave the radio on at a low level - you might find that that is an acceptable alternative, particularly if you stay for 5 - 10mins...