DD has just turned three.
She used to be an angel at bedtime. Put her PJs on fairly easily, bit of faffing with toothbrushing, a couple of stories and then I could leave her room and she would just go to sleep.
Over the last couple of months it's just become a battle. Pyjamas she'll run away, kick her legs and scream at us. So we always end up having to force them on her. It's as if it's a total surprise that we need to put pyjamas on as if we haven't been doing it literally every night for three years ðŸ«
Teeth and toilet the same, often ending in her screaming and hitting us.
Stories she'll choose two and settle down, I'm lead into a false sense of security, I kiss her goodnight and leave the room.
Then the screaming, crying and moaning starts again. The doors not right, she want this toy downstairs, she wants another weetabix and and and, all shouting at me really aggressively.
If DPs home we have to tag team so we can both stay calm.
She'll say she wants a cuddle and then scream at me to go away and then cry when I go away. A lot of nights she just ends up crying herself to sleep this way and it makes me feel awful.
Her sister was born in November and she has also already moved into a proper bed, we had a dip in bedtime behavior and then things went back to normal again (or what used to be normal) so I don't think it's due to a transition or anything.
Rewards don't work because at bedtime it's a 'next day' reward and she just says she doesn't want it.
I actually dread bedtime at the moment, it's wearing me and DP downIs there anything I can do? Is this normal? A phase she'll grow out of? Help!!