My 28-month old takes an hour to get to bed. Help!!

[LondonMum1979]

To help set the scene, my 28-month old daughter has been potty trained for about a month, is dry at night and sleeps in a single bed with a barrier. She also naps for on average 1.5hrs in the day.

I have found that in the evenings, once we have done our usual bedtime/reading routine, she keeps asking to go to the toilet and in fairness to her, keeps passing minimal amounts of wee (5mls or so). This can go on for 30 or so minutes. Once all the toilet visits are finally done, she will call me back a couple of times for trivial things like her socks have come off or she wants a tissue etc.

I feel guilty that sometimes this means she gets to sleep at or after 8PM. She usually wakes up at around 6am, if not a little earlier sometimes. I am worried she does not get enough sleep. I have tried giving her milk earlier at about 6pm to avoid the late toilet trips but with no luck.

Any advice gratefully appreciated!!

Thanks

I have a very similar problem with 26mth old. Still in nappies, but uses other pretexts to call me back in. Or screams blue murder when I try to leave in the first place.

First piece of advice: NO GUILT! You're doing the best you can.

Second: If you really do want to try and cut down on how long it takes to get her off, you may have to be firmer with her, even if she isn't happy about that. Explain that she will be able to go to the loo once, as part of routine. Play a "squeeze it all out" game and laugh a bit! She probably doesn't need to keep going if she's dry day and night. She will probably find other pretexts to call you in if that one doesn't work. It's a question of resisting. Firmly and calmly telling her she doesn't need ANOTHER drink, leaving a tissue next to the bed, etc. My little love is beginning to respond better to rational explanations along the lines of, "it's time to go to sleep, mummy's downstairs/in the bathroom/study... but I'm not going to lie here with you while you drop off", but it is taking a long time. But I'm not into controlled crying methods, either, so I think I just have to go with it and hope that time will help build up habits.

I cut down the midday nap to a strict hour, too, which helped a lot. And I make sure he gets a lot of opportunity to run around. He used to take an hour to go to sleep, wake up 2 or 3 times in the night and be up 6.30, and that's improved a lot.

I know that isn't all the answers you were probably hoping for, but just to let you know you're not alone, and it isn't your fault (I don't think!!!). Some kids need more reassurance.

Good luck!

Hello, although my boys are now much older l was given strange advice which worked really well. I put my toddlers to bed (out of nappies) and just before l went to bed l lifted them up asleep and sat them on the loo and told them where they were and it was ok for them to wee. Strangely enough they did exactly that, and allowed me to carry them back to bed. They slept until morning and very soon stopped this all together. I did wonder if l was encouraging them to wee in their sleep, but that never happened and it really worked!

If it's any reassurance/comfort at all, we have same situation here with our 24mo. You wouldn't believe some of the excuses... Tonight has been "my need brush my teeth really well ....keep them nice and clean"...err, right. Am currently outside bathroom listening to vigorous scrubbing and wondering at what point I intervene...