Help - my husband did something silly and now my toddler won't be put down to sleep!

[Cakehead]

My 20-month-old has been a good sleeper since about 6 months old. Yes, she has a dummy to comfort her, but I've always been able to put her down for a nap/sleep at the right time and she just drifts off happily. Even on the odd occasion where she stays awake for a twenty minutes or so, she chats away to herself and then sparks out. BUT last week, while I was at a doctor's appointment, she was playing DH up at teatime and threw her juice on the floor. Not being used to this, DH took her upstairs and put her in her cot to cry for a few minutes. That night she went to bed fine, but since then has absolutely created when put in her cot. I think she's associationg being put in her cot with doing something wrong. So all weekend she howled through naptime and just not slept, tonight she's howled for 20 minutes, throwing her dummy out, kicking her way out of the grow-bag. DH is distraught, as he think's he's buggered a good routine up with a moment's mistake. Any advice? I really wish DH had never done this (and to be honest, maybe it's a coincidence that it's happened right now...), but it feels like we're back to having a six month old. We've never had to do CC, so I hate hearing her cry like this. At nursery, she goes down for her nap perfectly as always. Any advice very very much appreciated...

desperate bump

Can you maybe move her cot to a different place in her room and change the room lay-out a bit to break the association, maybe even buy her a new blanket or whatever you use. Talk to her about it and ask her where she would like her things. Also maybe you could explain to her that when shed is naughty you will put her in a specific place other than her bedroom.

maybe help your child view it as a positive again. giving her a piece of fruit as she wakes up with huge praises.

You could always think about transitioning her to a bed. 20 months is on the early side for that but within a normal range, and it would remove the negative association with the cot.

i think it must be a coincidence.. hope she settles again soon

tbh think you are reading too much into that one incident, she really won't remember it as punishment unless you reinforce her memory and behave differently as a consequence. It is more likely that she had a one off upset evening and is making the natural transition away from daily daytime naps but is perhaps becoming overtired by bedtime as a consequence. Can you bring her old routine forward a little on days she doesn't nap.

My 15 month old ds has always gone down beautifully in the evening since he was about 5 months old. Over the last week, he has had a howling fit every night. I think they go through phases, tbh. I suspect our ds is teething at the moment and that it making him more clingy. I know how you feel - I was just saying to dh how I feel like I have failed somehow (completely irrational!) and that it is like having a newborn again. I am just hoping that it is a phase...

Thank you - some useful suggestions here. And wouldn't you know it, tonight she's gone down like a dream... Hmm.

I agree with LIZS.I think if she's been put in her cot that way many times,she will associate it with doing something wrong,but not once.Must be something else?