Co-sleepers.....How do you put your toddler to bed?

[justlookatthatbooty]

If you have a family bed, do you put your toddler (DS is 20 months) to bed in it and stay until he's asleep? Or do you leave him to fall asleep? Bedtime is taking way way way too long staying with him til he's asleep. We ahve a very strong and consistant bath bottle books bed ritual but it takes a couple of hours and I'm fed up with starting my evening at 10pm. Advice please!

What do you do for naps? Would he stay in bed until he fell asleep, do you think? You could very slowly go from lying with him to fall asleep to sitting next to the bed to being in the room doing something else to sitting just outside the door out of sight (but responding immediately if he wanted you) to saying goodnight and leaving the room completely.

I co-sleep with DS who is nearly 12 months and would not stay in bed if I left him there so I do lie with him until he is asleep (I usually breastfeed him to sleep but not always). If he is tired enough though it literally takes 10 minutes.

I go to bed with my DD and stay until she falls asleep we have two (maybe three )stories then lights out then a drink of milk (bottle) and the same songs ( three) every night - it can take anything from 10 mins to rarely 30 mins but she would not stay with out me or too late in the day - I found when we cut back on DDs nap bedtime got a lot easier.

I put my 22 month old to bed at 7pm and stay with him until he falls asleep - but that's usually 10 minutes later. If he's wide awake I let him play/potter about while I read. Though I do sometimes fall asleep with him and don't wake until DH comes up to bed.

Can you tire your DS out a bit more during the day so bedtime isn't so long?