This is driving me batty. My one year old fights going to bed. He sleeps for no longer than 45 minutes all day, but then thankfully sleeps for 12/13 hours at night.
I do tea at 5.30, bath at 6.30, milk and books, then bed by 7.15. We sit on a comfy chair in his darkened room, have a bit more milk and I sing a couple of sleepy songs. It used to work. Now though he wants to stand, wants to get onto the floor and play, wants to do anything basically other than sleep.
I've tried putting him in his cot to gently play himself to sleep, but he just gets more wired, then upset and it can take hours (10pm last night!). It's not that he doesn't like his cot - he plays quite happily there and is happy there when he wakes in the night/ mornings too. It's not that he doesn't like bedtime either - he smiles as we go up the stairs, and giggles as we put his sleeping bag on.
The only thing that works now, is holding him in my arms and making him lie there. He objects and cries, but after only a few minutes of wrestling gives in, calms and sleeps. I then carry him to his cot. It almost always works, but it's stressful for us both and I dread it.
I know he's probably over tired, but I can't seem to get him to sleep for longer in the daytime - he's just too excited by life and has always been the same. Also, on the unusual occasions when he has it's made no difference whatsoever..
Any ideas? I really want to help him to get to sleep himself. He can do it in the night when he wakes, so how do I get him to recognise and accept bedtime??