I was going to start a thread to vent about the most awful ghastly bedtime I have just endured....

[WhatFreshHellIsThis]

.....but I find myself unable to tell you about it, it was so awful.

Suffice to say there were tears on all fronts, many children went up and down many stairs asking for more drinks and wailing at me. Bellowing happened.

I am in despair, it is 9pm and my 5 yo and 2 yo have only just gone to sleep.

Short of chloroform, how can I get the little buggers darlings to go to sleep at a reasonable hour?

Aaaaaaargh.

Is the OP David Cameron?avid Cameron?

DD is having a little "phase" of not going to sleep. We are now on day 3 of reward chart with the promise of a treat of her choice if she makes a full 7 consecutive nights of no messing around at bedtime and no waking up for no reason in the night. I just hope the "glow in the dark" Rapuzel wig she has chosen as her treat doesn't sell out before then

No, I went to see Riven before she started entertaining politicians!

Do you know the irony of it all is that the poor kitten is tired and trying to sleep while the family poke and prod it!

I know how the kitten feels!

we dont have a real routine DD just gets a yell at about half 7/5 to 8 of ''right DD pants and jams!!'' she pees gets a breadstick or toast then into bed.

ive had the but its light out convo the im thirsty, hungry, need a pee, brush my teeth do my homework convos too the only thing she's allowed up for is pee and brush teeth if she's forgotten. she's 6.

nephew is a real stickler for the light outside no matter what i try he will always have a comeback the wee smartarse now i just remind him that he can wake me up in the morning for weetabix but only if he sleeps now he usually listens.. he's 4 and a half

Rather embaressed i dont recall who you are in rl freshhell
dd is fine apart from the bedtime yelling and the nighttime waking and the early starts. She is 7 and rarely sleeps before 10 and is up at 5. Taint natural!
So we dont get evenings or mornings.
But am off camping with child number 3 for a few days. Sleeeeeeeeeeep

Don't worry, mine are never in bed before 7.30-8.

The preempting tip is a good one. How about a tick list for every night that you all go through?

A friend of mine had a good response to 'but why is the sun still up?'
'The sun's older than you'

That is a good one Bumper! I shall use that.

Riven I only came the once I think, at the same time as PussinJimmyChoos and another lady whose nickname I can't remember. Hope camping is good!

Boys still nightmare. DS2 kept wailing 'Broken!' all evening, and DS1 was so awful he lost his stories. Are all 5yos argumentative to the death?