How to put 2 year old to bed?

[Spannersintheworks]

Used to have a great sleeper, now it's all gone to pot! Thought maybe it was naptimes so we've given up on naps, but this hasn't made bedtime any easier or earlier.
We used to just bath, story, song, leave her. She'd chat away and then go to sleep. But now!
If we leave her she cries and cries until we come back. I won't leave her more than 5-10 minutes at a time, but it would go on for hours.
Tried getting in bed with her, reading lots of stories, telling made up stories/singing songs. If she eventually comes into bed with us she now just jumps around and won't settle so that doesn't help either. If I just sit quietly in her room, she jumps on the bed, crawls out head first and just yells and chats and goes on an on.
I am at a complete loss. What do I do?!
How do I put this bloody child to bed?

@MrsLully yes I'm worried about ditching nap. It's not that I particularly want to, but I just can't face fighting her to sleep more than once a day. Today we were in the car, so she did sleep and she finally went to sleep after a battle at 10.
Thank you for advice re 6pm bedtime. To me that seems so early on a no nap day, but it makes sense as thats when she's getting sleepy. Don't know how to work dinner and bath in by then, but I'm definitely willing to give it a go!
I don't think I can get her to nap at 12, as she's often at preschool til 12.15 and I don't want to cut that out. Because it's half term we weren't there today and she napped in the car probs 11.45-12.30 but it was still a horror show at bedtime. So I'm worried that any nap is just killer at the moment

She's 2y4m @NameChange30. A friend recommended me Tonie box - I think that's the same kind of thing? Will look into it a bit more as maybe that's a good idea. When I read her stories or tell her stories, she wriggles around and pulls the duvet off and it's infuriating, but maybe she'll be different with something playing automatically

Does she have a special Ted who could be very tired and need to go to sleep. She'll need to be very quiet and look after him while he goes to sleep; he might like her to sing a lullaby etc etc. You get the gist... work it into your bedtime routine.
This worked like a charm with my daughter

Yes!!
We came back from our first holiday abroad with DS just over a week ago and since that holiday a miracle has happened..... I hate saying it because I don't want to jinx it but he's sleeping!! Weird I know 🤷‍♀️ coincidence? God knows but I'll take it. I'm getting a full night sleep after 2 years and 2 months!! 🙌🙌

@Spannersintheworks oh and yes I have a tiniest box I put off or piggies on quiet every night. And he has to have the light up thermometer that I put on his shelf or he will have a melt down. But he falls asleep holding kt, then I take it out cot once he's gone.
Needs just though. Try anything 😂

Tonies*

Christ.. iggle piggle**

Ffs.. needs must**

Must switch predictive text off 🙄

@MaggyNoodles we've tried asking her to be quiet for her Ollie owl grow clock or her teddies, or so that we can watch our program downstairs, but she doesn't get on board with this! Altho I'll try it again as it never hurts! She's a "yes, but" type person so it Doesnt seem to make a difference!

@MyBrownEyedHandsomeBoy I hope it's not jinxed!!! Maybe we need a holiday too!!!
Glad you seem to be out tie other side. Going to look into a story player tomorrow!

Hi OP, ours was 2 in Jan and has been resisting sleep for a while.

This helped a lot: https://www.very.co.uk/fisher-price-soothe-amp-glow-rainbow-sound-machine/1600758241.prd

It plays plinky plunky music and the red lights glow on and off and it's not interesting but more soothing than white noise.

I also have sent him out in the buggy with DH when at my wits end and he'll fall asleep going round the block... It's not ideal but at least it works! And he comes back so sound asleep that moving him to bed is low risk...

The other rule we have at the moment is that if he hasn't napped by 11am then we'll keep him awake. I'll give him a milky drink and give him the chance to sleep - in bed or in the buggy. If he doesn't go for it then no more sleep that day! Afternoon/after lunch naps are the killer for us, always make bedtime a nightmare!

Wish you all the best.

Sleep battle is the worst, we unfortunately had good practice from birth with our oldest.

We had to reduce the definition of good parenting a bit and my tip would be try making sleep optional and say as long as they stay in the room and quiet then that's fine. People have suggested the yoto player which is a good one, also a few books to read is a good idea.

Then you're putting the decision in their hands when to actually sleep, so you don't have to try to work out the ideal bed time.
Our son reads and listens to music anywhere between 5 minutes and 2 hours after his bedtime story before falling asleep, which is entirely up to him. And the same at afternoon quiet time, he is there from 2pm until 4pm or when he wakes, whichever is later. The only fixed thing is wake up time in the morning.

I suppose your job is to give the child you have the space to have their needs met, so what works for me is only an idea, it might not work at all for you! Good luck!