2 Year old hates going to sleep now?

Since may little girl was 1 we've had a great routine for bed. I bring her up, rock her while reading a bedtime book of poems. Then when the book is done, I put her in bed and she goes to sleep. Well, thats how it was for over a year and suddenly the once easy process came to an end.

For the past month she has decided that this is no longer good enough. Now she wants me to stay in her room until she is totally out. Before I could leave and she would happily go to sleep. Now if I try to leave she gets really upset and cries (freak out crying). I tried to let her cry it out, but she gets too upset to sleep. What used to be a 15 minute routine is now 1-2 hours of waiting her out. I am forced to sit and watch her fighting sleep now, and she refuses to let me leave. I have tried everything. I've even asked her why she gets so upset but she just says "daddy, stay".

My wife is due this week, and I can't spend over an hour each night getting my little girl to sleep once the baby arrives.

Answers:
Yeah, you've reached a tough time -- now that your daughter is getting more control over herself and her world there's SO much to see and do, and she doesn't want to waste any time by sleeping! My son went through the exact same thing at that age.

You're going to have to be strong, and be consistent, and be up front about it -- explain to her that what the bedtime routine will be, follow through with it as promised, kiss her goodnight, and then shut the door behind you as you leave her room. There's going to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and she may try to sneak out of her room, and all that; be gentle but firm, and put her back into her bed and turn out the light again each and every time. It'll take a few days, but she'll eventually learn that the old schtick isn't going to work anymore, and she'll eventually learn to put herself to sleep.

If your of a mind to -- this is sort routine in our house -- you may allow her to play quietly by herself in her room for a half hour or so after you do storytime. But when you come back in at the end of that time, make your expectations very clear -- she's to climb into bed, the lights go out, and she gets one last kiss (and maybe a backrub), and that is IT, until morning.

Best of luck to you!

I totally know how you feel! my 3 year old wants me to lay down with her every night. I to have to stay until she is out. But the thing is she will not let my husband lay down only me. I am having another baby in Dec. and I am trying to break her also because I know that I will not be able to lay down with her every night, or even at all.

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2 Year old hates going to sleep now?

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