Meltdowns at bedtime

[Doubletroublenodoublelove]

DT’s 3 year old. One is easy breezy and rarely any trouble. The other one is highly independent, has to do things for herself. At bedtime we’ve just had the most awful meltdown. She wouldn’t put her PJ’s on. Clothes is a massive trigger for her. She doesn’t want to put them on and then she doesn’t want to take them off.

in the end after multiples times of telling her to put her pj’s on (she was insisting that she wanted to do it herself but never actually did it) me & DH just did it for her. Cue massive massive meltdowns, screaming, shouting and trying to lash out. In the end I took her to bed, where she is eventually collapsed in my arms and is now fast asleep.

i understand that this is all tiredness related. We’ve had a busy day today but how do you navigate these epic meltdowns?

it’s just awful and I feel like an awful parent. I also feel awful for my DT who doesn’t have these meltdowns.

any tips anyone can give whilst I go and pour myself a massive gin 😩

DD is 2.5 and exactly the same. I DO IT MAMA and then she doesn't. We used to end up with epic battles and lots of misery and it was dreadful.

So now we just do it for her, super quickly, while she's playing or looking at a book. Quick whip off of t-shirt and leggings and knickers, then a bit of a run around naked, and then quickly on with the pullup and PJs. No negotiations, no option for her to do it, just us basically dressing her while she bashes about. Sometimes she has a little yell about it, we distract with stories and cuddles and just keep the routine moving. No dwelling on it!