Bed time antics...would really appreciate some advice.

[nutcracker]

Some of you may or may not know that since xmas my dd2's behaviour has deteriorated to the point that she is pretty much uncontrolable. This has now extended to bed time.

Before now, she would go up to bed with dd1 and ds at roughly 8pm and sometimes read, sometimes not and then go to sleep, with a lamp on.

Now she goes up, i tell her she can read and she starts screaming and shouting that she doesn't want to, she wants to do this that and the other.
Tonight I promised I would read to her and then she could read for half hour afterwards then sleep. I read her a book and then she started. She screamed for roughly half an hour but then decided she would read.

After an hour, I had to go up to tell her it was sleep time and to put her book away.

I have just now spent over an hour sitting on the stairs whilst she screamed, shouted, hit the wall etc just to try and get me to go back in.

Requests were ..

I'm cold
I want a hug
I'm sorry
I'm hot
I want the loo
I want to blow my nose
I can't do up, my jumper (she didn't have one on)
I need to tell you something

You get the idea, she just wanted me to go back in. I lasted an hour before I pretty much exploded. Dp didn't help at all , kept shouting up the stairs for her to shut up.

So my question is, what do I do ?? Do i just ignore her until she gets the message ? I think if i keep going in, it will last all night.

HELP

Meant to add that she is 6.

The supernanny technique springs to mind - first time go in, pleasant, second time go in slightly sterner. Third time go in, put back to bed saying nothing. Stick with the third time approach every time you go back in. Tough I would imagine - but the kids she would do this to sound similar to how your DD is behaving.

Yeah i had that in my mind, and i was doing ok but the just lost my cool.

I know she is only doing it to get me to go back in, but I just couldn't listen to anymore.

She was even shouting "mommy, i want to go to sleep"

last night the sluglet announced 'mummy, I can't close my eyes'.

I just ignore her after the 3rd time

Hello Nutcracker! Was just thinking about you this morning and were wondering how you were getting on. Have you got your '1 2 3 Magic' yet?

Agree with Flossam by the way with regard to sorting out bedtime thing.

yes dont interract and get dh to butt out

the problem with the 'putting back to bed' routine at this age though, is that they may genuinely have a fear or something bothering them, that they can't deal with alone.

My dd has been a PITA like this, but eventually it emerged that she was very upset about someone at school telling her she was no longer her friend.

Whilst techniques are all well and good, I do think you sometimes need to get off the 'automatic pilot mode' that is often suggested in these books, and actually listen to her.