Bedtime routine ideas for 2 yr old

[jollygreenmama]

I seem to have found myself in a 2 hour (at least) wind down routine and wondered if anyone would like to share ideas or routines with me so I can feel a bit more enthusiastic about what I'm doing.

We tend to have tea around 6, should it be earlier if bed is at 8? I don't give her anything sweet.
Then we'll do something calm like puzzles or snap, think that's calm? We'll have a little look in the garden and perhaps do some watering if needed.
Up to a bath or strip wash around 7 then we'll have a kind of massage, more like me slapping some cream on, and into pj's. Some milk while we read and then some lullabies and lights off for 8 if we're lucky. Boy can she fidget at the moment and chit chat and ask for more mil, more water (she doesn't drink them) pee pee's too, even though she'd still in a nappy for bed.

I think she has such a wonderful little life that its just all too exciting for her sometimes and I can't get her to just chill!

Hope to hear some good advice, thanks in advance wonderful mums netters!

You made me laugh, it sounds lovely. My DD is 2 and loves to prolong things with drinks and extra cuddles. We do Supper at 6pm, bedtime wee, bath or bottom dip whichever I can be bothered with, milk, teeth, x1 story (when it's my DH he always gets talked into 2!) bedtime song and I leave the room (7:15pm or just after). ....then wants drink, loo again, I just say "it's time for sleepies now", she might read (I mean look at pictures of book of course!) or go to the potty on her own but I'm downstairs and she settles down. Might need to call up "it's time for sleepies" or pop my head round the door to say again but generally she settles down. It works for us....might for you. Good luck. Sometimes if I leave bedtime until later (at the weekend) she might have a what I call funny 5 minutes when she's over tired.

Could you do all your other lovely things before supper, so she doesn't miss out?

That sounds like a nice routine and much like ours. I only count the routine from bath onwards so only count it as an hour (7-8) and we do that at 7, pjamas, milk with books, into bed with music and nightlight at 8 and since he has no nap - quickly asleep...

Nothing to add, except to say these routines sound great.

Think your routine sounds great too. If she is having her tea at 6 you can't really count that as part of her bedtime routine.

Would cut out the snap though as mine always get a bit excited playing competitive games. How about colouring, playdoh or glueing and sticking instead.

Then bath, books, bed is what we do too. We always leave the DC with a sippy cup with water in it anyway. Was woken loads by DS and just didn't want to give him the excuse of asking for a drink.

If you want her to settle into a routine could you do a bath each night? We also gave DD extra to eat in the bath when she was this age as it helped her to get sleepy.

There is some advice here on the Dr Sears website, although bear in mind its an American website so you can miss out the prayers if you choose .

The other thing we do is a lullaby by they only get this once, if they call us again we are really boring and don't do anything fun or interesting.

Thanks all.
She's been a dream since I stopped trying to relax her; gone off every night with out too much bother. Had to laugh at the ' Go the f* to sleep' thing read by Samuel Jackson doing the Roy ds on YouTube, check it out, that and all your comments make me realise , as always, that we're not the only parents trying to get our treasures to sleep!

Have heard that on FB, very funny.

i was about to post something similar! i have a 3yr old and ds2 is 2 next month, they used to go to bed at 7pm and chill out listening to lullabies in bed till they fell asleep around 8pm. now they're high as kites till 8:30 and i have to sit by the door snapping at them to lie down and go to sleep! i'm hoping it's just the daylight hours. the blackout blind broke in their room and has just been fixed so hopefully they'll settle better. i'm just leaving them up till 8pm pottering about playing then putting them to bed.

they get up at 7am and sleep after lunch so i wondered about dropping the lunch time nap but they go straight to sleep then and are really tired so obviously still need a bit of it.

natural could you try cutting down on the nap? Either reducing the time or doing the nap every other day? If all else fails take them swimming, DD just wants to lie down after she's been swimming.

my rule at bedtime re requests is JUST SAY NO.

she doesn't get another drink. wee wees happen at bathtime (usually in the tub ) so she doesn't get to go to the loo. she doesn't get another book or song or to be tucked in again (well, not very often).
if she's really wriggly/difficult i say 'shall i come back in 5 minutes when you're feeling a bit tireder and tuck you in then?' and leave, promptly. she's usually put herself to bed by the time i come back.

my inner adult-time alarm goes off at 7pm and i get very antsy if she's still up! (what can i say, i have a child who sleeps forever, must get it from me).

DS2 is just 2.

His bedtime lead up looks something like this;

5.30 - 6pm ish - tea

6 pm - 7 pm - varies, can be watch some cebeebies, play football in garden, play chase with me or his siblings, play with playdough, read some books, do Brownie and Beaver run or whatever else we are doing that evening.

Sometimes he has a bath, maybe about twice a week.

But at some point at about quarter to eight I catch him as he dashes by. Pop some PJs on him and change his nappy. Give him a cup of milk to drink and a banana to eat. Zip him into his sleeping bag, clean his teeth, have a quick cuddle and then pop him up to bed.

He has teddies and books in the cot with him. If not too tired he plays with these, if tired he snuggles down and goes to sleep. He has a litle music and light show machine that plays for 10 mins to lull him to sleep.

The actually getting ready for bed takes 10-15 mins tops.

I've had similar problems with DD (2.1) taking ages to wind down in the evening and am currently getting some help from a sleep consultant. One of the best tips she's given me so far is that you should keep the bedtime routine (from start of bath - which should be no longer than 5 mins apparently - to sticking in cot) to 30 mins max as otherwise you lose your opportunity to use the temporary shot of melatonin (sleep hormone) a regular bedtime routine induces.

I'm sure some children must cope fine with a more protracted routine but it certainly seems to be helping with our situation. I'd been spinning bath and books out before to try and get maximum value from them, but it seems that was counterproductive!

Oh and apparently once you start drifting off your need for water subsides so you can say no to drink requests. Although I'm less convinced about that one, esp. with situations like colds.

that's interesting about the 30min bedtime routine. i've read it a few times but juggling 3 of them running/rolling in different directions takes forever! they spend ages in the bath as well, and often climb out without getting a wash, so ours is more playtime really.

can't bring myself to cut back the lunchtime nap but our bedtime tonight was horrendous and went on forever so i know i should really.