After sitting in DD's room for an hour tonight, I've reached the stage where I need to find another way to get her to sleep. I tried to sneak out at about 8.50 but no luck. It was about 9.15 before I could leave.
Bedtime routine starts with a bottle downstairs at 7.30. Then it's upstairs for a bath (about 10 min), get dried and ready for bed, story on my lap, quiet cuddle with only the light from the stairs, then into her cot. She lays quietly whilst I sit in the chair in her room. (Usually on MN on my phone.) She occasionally sits up or tries to talk to me, but all I say is "Ssh, lie down (if necessary), go to sleep now" but normally I don't have to say anything.
I have thought about gradual retreat, but the room is so small that there is nowhere to move the chair, it would be in the way of the door. I did try it for a few weeks but basically was just stood on the landing until 9pm, rather than being sat in her room, so not a lot of difference.
Just for info, I'd like to get her in bed earlier, but she wakes up between 6 and 7 each day anyway, so an earlier bedtime would mean an earlier start. Apparently I didn't need much sleep as a child, and I do remember laying awake for hours and hours, night after night, though obviously not at that age. DP takes turns sometimes doing the bedtime routine, but he gets up with her most mornings, and we sort of have an agreement that you do either bedtime or morning. (I prefer him to do mornings if at all possible!)
I am now pg again so need to get her to understand that she doesn't need one of us to sit there whilst she goes to sleep. I'm just wondering how other 18 month olds settle to sleep? Do you sit with them? Cuddle them to sleep? Or have you perfected the art of saying "night night" and leaving them to it? If the latter, how did you do it please?