Bed time has become a shouty nightmare since DD moved into a bed!

[Bumperslucious]

DD went into a bed a week ago. She used to go to bed pretty well. Mostly of the time she would bumble around her cot until falling asleep.

She is now in a bed with a gate at the doorway. We live in a flat and DD's bedroom is off the hallway, directly opposite the kitchen. She doesn't want the door shut and she is becoming a nightmare at going to bed. She is currently screaming at the gate to get out. It's not that she doesn't like the bed, she loves it, but for some reason she is now refusing to go to bed without a fight. We tried stories, ignoring her, getting her up again. Nothing is helping. Any suggestions on how to get her to go to bed peacefully?

She is 2.2y btw.

oooh difficult one - it's so hard when a change throws their routine out. I would keep putting her back to bed with limited eye contact seeing as she's had the stories already.

You could try what worked for us: We told our ds if he stayed in his bed he could have the door open and we would come back and give him a kiss goodnight. We gave him three chances to stay in bed, and then we shut the door. We let him have a bit of a tantrum and then opened it again, and explained again that if he stayed in his bed he could have the door open and we will come back again and kiss him goodnight. He tested the boundary for about a week, but mostly goes to sleep happily without getting out of bed now, and usually quite peacefully! I think when he is really hyperactive and refusing to go the bed peacefully its because he is overtired. Good luck!

Thanks both. NZbabies, how old was DS when you did that? Sounds great but I wonder if DD is old enough to 'get' it.

He was/is 2 and 8 months, so a bit older than your DD. Might work though?

We're having the same problem with our ds (2 and 4 mo). We've tried all the things suggested here, and that has improved things (he's only getting up three or four times now before getting the message) and made us feel more in control and less shouty. It's still 8.45 before he's settling down though, versus 7.45 in his cot, and the lack of evening is knackering. We're trying a sticker chart now. He seems to prize getting a sticker quite highly, although it's a bit awkward since it's a sticker for staying in bed which means he can't have it until the next morning which is a bit too much deferred gratification for a toddler.

DD 2 and 4 months and having the same problem. We have just started doing the 3 chances then shut the door game and it does seem to work (although a couple of times this week I have gone to open the door and can't as she has fallen asleep on the floor blocking it!!!) Makes me feel mean but am assuming it will be a very short phase. I used to do my exercise dvd between 7:15 and 8 so that has all gone pear shaped.