Toddler wind-up routine at bedtime

[brightreddress]

Help me,
My 2.5 year old does not nap and sleeps roughly 7-6. Bedtimes are a nightmare. She has bath, milk, story, bed in a nice routine but keeps playing up after we've tucked her in and turned the light off. She will get out of bed and turn the light on and shout that she needs more milk / a poo / or sometimes just another story. She is offered these things before lights off and doesn't want them. She has been in a big bed for a few months and also did toilet training in the past few months, and we had a new baby 4 months ago. Despite all these changes I really need her just to go to bed. We have tried varying the time and she always does it.

Supernanny Technique. You take her by the hand the first time and say "Bedtime now". The second time you say "Bedtime". The third and subsequent times you say nothing. But you put her back and put her back ad infinitum. No eye contact, no talking, no cuddles, no interaction. It may take a few nights, but she will get the message.

Yep, supernanny technique worked for us. Don't reward them with attention for being a pain in the arse. Just consistently put them back into bed.

Yep I agree with others. We did this with dd and although we thought we would be doing it forever it did work. Just be consistent.

Ok wow unanimous. Tonight it has taken three hours to get her to bed with me getting increasingly more annoyed!! I will do it.

It used to take us hours but I promise it works!

Could she possibly be overtired? or afraid? only you can know your own DC but mine gets very wired when tired almost fooling you she's not tired at all!

my DD is a few months older and went through a nap strike at 2.1 which lasted about 3 months...I persevered and then once she was napping again she began to have fears when we left. The supernanny trick is all well and good if you don't have a willful/overtired/terrified child. It doesn't work for everyone and in our case it made her upset to the point of inconsolable crying and being unable to wind down for sleep. because we weren't hearing her, we were only listening to our own needs (of OMG I need the working day to end now)

what has worked for us is a calling nap time 'quiet time' and telling her she can play/read quietly but if she feels sleepy or cross or fussy (a sure sign she's tired) she can curl up in bed and go to sleep if she wants (never thought she actually would but it seems giving her a choice has made her see sense) - she's not the type of child to just fall asleep willingly but I think explaining to her and praising her 'looking after her body' has really helped. could this be worth a go for bedtime for your DD? or if she's overtired could you work a quiet time into her day with a view to bringing the nap back in for a while?

as for bedtime what our DC needed was reassurance that we were still right here but her body needed rest so she could play the next day without feeling too grumpy. We have also started staying with her for a while before saying goodnight. We used gradual retreat before which worked until these new fears took hold, she also has a new sibling and I think regression is only natural

how are things going now?