2 year old dd says she's scared before bed. Is she playing me up?

[poshsinglemum]

I know that toddlers get scared of the dark etc but I keep dds light on the dimmer all night.
I put her to bed then go downstairs. She starts calling to me saying she's scared of; the gruffalo, some of her toys, the man next door, pirates etc. Last night she was sobbing about it.
She also starts saying that her fingers are hurting. There are no cuts. I assume they are a bit sore so I put cream on to pacify her. I9n reality I think she's trying it on with the finger thing. They are not red or cut.
I do think she's scared of things. In mmy room she's scared of the pegs with coats on. i took it down as she does come into my room.

How do I handle this? I don't want her to be frightened and it's hard to ignore a sobbing, scared toddler. i'm knackered. Dd stays up til I go to bed so I don't get a break really with her sobbing and I'm starting to feel resentful and angry.

typos

Make sure there aren't too many things in her room - keep it relatively empty. Some children have vivid imaginations and if their room is full of teddies and brightly coloured toys that can be overstimulating. Make sure her wind-down routine at bedtime starts nice and early... things like TV can be too stimulating in the evening, for example. A hot milk, warm bath, nice quiet, calm story about happy things... if you can get her feeling nicely sleepy before you leave her to go downstairs, that might help as well.

Is she an anxious child in other situations or is it just at night?

She's not anxious. She's quite bright and likes to be very active. We watch cbeebies before bed which I think I'm going to stop. Am starting sleep taining again and I'm goping to be strict.

You could try role-playing with dollies as well. The game is putting dolly to bed and dolly says she's scared etc... but 'mummy' (DD) has to think of ways to make dolly feel better and go to sleep. If you find out what she thinks would help dolly, you might stand a better chance yourself :)

Thank you. will try. Her room is neutral. I think the sore finger thing is a tactic to fdelay sleep because during the day; well her fingers are fine and dadndy. I am so tired and have been a screaming banchee for a few days as a result. This has reallu upset me as I felt so content over Christmas. I think Christmas is teh culprit here for unsettling her.

She's still into my boobs and I just don't want to know.

What a monkey! She's loving that she gets to stay up with you if she makes a fuss about being scared. Her imagination is now soaring and she has also realised cause and effect it I cry, make a fuss, Mummy takes me downstairs. You might need to be a little hardline with her and march her back to bed a la Supernanny every time she gets up, or use the gradual withdrawal method of getting her off to sleep.

Oh, and some water in a plant sprayer makes brilliant anti monster spray.

I don't take her downstairs. i go up and cuddle her and put cream on her sor5e fingers. Which is just as bad!

Loving the anti-monster spray idea!!!!

Posh - does she still have a daytime nap? I ask because when my 2 year old started this and refusing to go to sleep at night until late, we cut out the nap and then he was so knackered he started falling asleep at 1830 without having time to be scared. Has completely sorted it for us (except the days he falls asleep in the car...)

My DS 2.4 is exactly the same. Wants to stay up until we go to bed and also started waking in the night after dreams and wanting to come into my bed. All started after Christmas. Imagination gone into overdrive and scared of all sorts of random things.

I guess Christmas is a sensory overload and January is the comedown!
Blameiton the boogie- today dd didn't have a nap and is now snoring away as is soooo tired.
When she's at the cm she has a nap then is a nightmare to get to sleep.
I feel awful about the way I shouted today. Im a different person when rested.