Toddler won’t stay in bedroom

[ThisFunnyRubyGoose]

My toddler will not stay in his bedroom. He will go into bed and lie down but the second you try and leave he screams crying. He has never done this before however the last week he has got worse and worse. We are currently an hour and a half into and he is yet to stay in his room.
We have tried giving him books and even toys just to try and keep him in the room but nothing seems to work.
Has anyone been through this or have any advice? Thanks

How old is he? Is he still napping? What time does he get up and is usually asleep by? Has he been ill recently or does he have big molars coming in?

Just sit with him until he falls asleep

What do you mean by ‘toddler’. Is he 12 months old or 3.5 years old? Will make a difference

Is the bed new to him?
does he have a night light?
How old?

For heaven’s sake don’t do this. You will never break the habit and that’s your evening down the pan for years.

He’s obviously struggling for some reason and separation anxiety is a big deal. What I would do is lay down with him and cuddle and chat and sing songs. After a good amount of time of just spending gentle time together I would remember I need to feed the cats and I’d be back in 5 mins. Then I really would leave and come back in 5 mins. Doing this establishes trust. If he’s still awake and doing okay I would stay another ten and then pop downstairs to load the dishwasher. Back in 5 just as promised. I would do this for as many nights as it takes until he trusts I’ll always come back. Then I would start ‘noticing’ that he often falls asleep when I’ve popped out and I would explain this to him and tell him you’re going to let him doze for 5 mins and you’ll be back to check. If he’s still awake I’ll give him a cuddle and tell him I’ll be back to check on him in ten mins. Then ten again.

I know it sounds like a long game. But in order for him to fall asleep he needs to feel safe and calm. So it’s whatever you have to do to make him feel safe and calm in his room alone over time.

this is a lovely post and very sensible.
It is the balance between responding to his distress and anxiety and gently building that trust that he is ok on his own and that you will be there when he needs you

I mean, my almost six year old has never fallen asleep on his own. If they want you, you should be there imo. They are only little once