MENTAL Bedtime 😰

[Olivia1987]

I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask for help.

Basically my 2.5 year old has just decided to go absolutely mental at bedtime. He’s been great up until about a week ago when something changed and he just screams and screams. He has also started to hate his bath which he has just before bed. He refuses to sit down in it and screams the whole time. This is really unusual because he’s loved his baths ever since he’s been born.
Anyway it’s absolutely exhausting. I do think part of it is the fact he wants to get more books out of us. As if he’s prolonging the process of going to sleep. Haha. Which he has done for a while but now he gets so angry and upset when before he’d be quite happy to lie on his own and look at a few books and then I’d go in he’d hand them to me and he’d roll over to go to sleep while I turned his light off.

Anyway just wondered if anyone else has lived through this? How you managed it if you did? Bedtime has ruined my evening now. It’s utterly exhausting and stressful for everyone and I just want it back how it used to be. (Wishful thinking)

Oh I’ll also add that he has got a very bad case of separation anxiety I would have thought all of this was down to that but he’s had the separation anxiety for about 3 weeks now. He was still fine going to bed back then. Urgh. I’m tired

I'm going through the same thing. It's mental I agree. She's like a child possessed. Mines 2 by the way. She also bangs her head on the bed frame it's a total nightmare. I feel so low. X

Morning! My nearly 4yo went through stages of being really difficult to get to bed. Don't worry I'm pretty sure it'll pass on its own. Maybe do bath at a different time of day. And go up to bed a bit earlier to allow more time to wind down, including more stories if that's a pinch point. Pretty sure this'll pass. My mantra is, everything's a stage.

Yes, this happened with some of ours! First of all - have a brew

Then stop and work out - what really matters?

Does it matter if a bath is in the evening or every single day? No
Does it matter if they stay up a little later? No
Does it matter if they sleep in a different room, i.e. parents' room? No

Does it matter if you have very stressful bedtimes that make you feel like you're losing your mind? Yes

Just because a child did xyz up to now doesn't mean it will continue, they suddenly fucking change for no bloody good reason and the secret is not overthinking the why, but trying something new until you find what works.

It’s mad how their behaviour can change within the space of 24 hours. I literally go to bed straight after him now lol. Last night we were meant to have a couple drinks and zoom a few friends. That didn’t happen we were both so tired we went to bed. Haha. I hope it passes for you soon. It’s the time of day where you want things to calm down now get more intense.

@inquietant I guess you’re right. I think it’s the surprise of it happening overnight. In such a short space of time if you get what I mean. Bath time was such a wonderful time for us all it’s something I don’t want to let go of, but yeh maybe it’s just not worth it. I also never want him to be upset and we all know that’s NEVER going to happen. He’s definitely testing what he can get out of both of us. He’s a very active little boy I just thought he might be over tired. He still has a nap in the day but he normally gets woken up from it by our amazingly loud neighbour. Haha

Your life is similar to mine haha. My neighbours are twats they are ridiculously loud. Constantly slamming doors and shouting. She's a really light sleeper as well. What time did your go to bed. Mine went about 9pm then woke at 3am so had to get her in bed with me I couldn't cope I was knackered.

My daughter loves being sang too at bedtime and she keeps wanting more and more. She goes to bed at 7pm and wants to be sang too until like 9pm,

Then if we dont she kicks off and starts shouting us, luckily her man calms her down

Over tired is definitely a thing and sometimes going to bed earlier worked.

Olivia1987 how is your evening?