how can I get 3yo to fall asleep on her own again?

[rhetorician]

she used to be fine; she shares with DD1 (6) who has been asleep for at least half an hour by this stage. One of us sits with her - fine, up to a point. But if you get up to leave before she is asleep she cries. And she wants you to sit on the bed, or in the bed with her. I went outside, and told her I would go back in and check on her; she was out of bed in a couple of minutes. We put her to bed around 7.30, lights out before 8. She is not an early riser and we usually have to push her out of bed in the mornings. I'd like to be able to put them to bed, do stories, bit of a chat, kiss and leave....not sitting in the dark for half my evening.

I had this when my little one turned 3 and we moved house. The only thing that worked for us was a "gradual withdrawal" method. We would sit with her holding her hand for a week while she fell asleep, then we'd sit beside her bed but without touching, again about a week, then on a chair by the door, then finally on a chair just outside her door in the hallway where she could just see us a little bit. Took a lot of work, and about a month in total, but it was the only way to do it that didn't involve crying which would wake the baby. Good luck x