DS is nearly 2 and a half. Really struggling with his feelings and communication at the moment despite being very good verbally. Lots of head butting and spitting and coughing at us when he’s unhappy which we can deal with… I think! He’s an angel at nursery and difficult for us.
We are really struggling with bedtime. We try to keep to some sort of routine but it can differ a bit each night due to shifts and childcare. We know he thrives on routine but really struggle.
He really kicks off and cries and shows real parental preference which feels horrid for my partner. He gets home late and always wants to do bedtime as he’s not seen him all day but DS only wants me.
He is dropping a nap I think too.
Is it worth doing something like timers to know when he needs to stop playing or move to the next thing, or a sticker chart to get him into a routine? He hates having to stop doing something and move to the the next thing - especially playing or getting out the bath. Do a bath every night to keep consistency? Any tips to instil a routine as we seem to have failed?
I am losing my mind trying to keep my sanity when he’s kicking off so much and drawing bedtime out so much. I want to be a kind parent and I love him so much but he’s really testing my patience.