Putting your toddler a sleep

1. 71

   EmmaMeduposted 15 years ago

   How do you put you child, that's between 1.5 and 2.5 years old, a sleep.
   How much time do you spend together when you put your child in bed and what do you do? Does it include reading, sitting next to his/her bed or you do you just go out of the room and let your child fall a sleep alone?

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   1. 56

      Sab Ohposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Walkin' & rockin' for however long it takes.

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   2. 65

      prettydarkhorseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Hi emmamedu, I sleep beside her and then she will sleep as I closed the light, she has her baba with her, and she keeps on fidgeting and roling til she sleeps

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   3. 58

      lizmoss71posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      When my kids were that age, I would give them a drink of warm milk then brush their teeth, read a story, and then leave the room and let them go to sleep on their own. Children that age do not need a parent to stay with them, they are quite old enough to fall asleep on their own.

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      1. 76

         Shadesbreathposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Yep.  The reading is essential for a million reasons.  And coddling them and worrying about their every whimper only reinforces fearfulness in them. The sooner they are left to master such basics as sleeping, the stronger they become as humans.  Babying them and whatnot is selfish, in my opinion, because it is really about making the parent feel better. 
         
         I suppose I might get blasted for that and someone will bust out with an anecdote that "disproves" my point, but, whatever. 

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         1. 68

            Mishaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            blast-blast-blast
            
            But I seriously think we more often err on a side of less cuddling, and I'd rather see us err on the other side. There is no such thing as too much love
            
            To OP: I would say every child is different. Our older one needed somebody up to 3-4 years, out younger one seemed to be fine all by herself right from the birth

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   4. 67

      waynetposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I used to put them to bed and let them cry themselves to sleep, sounds quite harsh, but before that they were loudly mocking me, trying to jump out of bed and shout the place down. Learn them early and they will know not to mess you around....breath and relax, therapy is just around the corner!!!

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2. 77

   Polly Cposted 15 years ago

   My son is 27 months. I read him a story downstairs and then take him to bed and sit on the end of the bed while he falls asleep. This used to work pretty well, until very recently when he suddenly discovered that messing about was a lot more fun than sleeping.....
   
   He is in a toddler bed so can get out of it if he so chooses.  Now he is up and down and throws his cuddly toys on the floor over and over. I must say it is quite tiresome. In the end I go downstairs, but he just ends up standing at the stairgate calling and throwing cuddlies down the stairs until I go back. I assume it's just a phase...hope so, anyway! I have an older child as well, so I have learnt that most things are just phases.

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3. 83

   kerrygposted 15 years ago

   My oldest is 3 1/2, but her bedtime routine has barely changed since she was weaned at 18 months. We brush her teeth, go potty, change into her jammies, and sit and read a book or two with her (nowadays we often finish up by letting her "read" a book to us - she has most of her favorites memorized by now anyway), then give her a kiss, turn off the light, and leave.
   
   Most nights, she puts herself to sleep without any fuss at all. Occasionally she will cry for a little while, but unless she is really screaming, it never lasts for more than a couple minutes and never needs our attention. Minor fussing is normal in young children before bed, it's just one of the ways they relax themselves.
   
   If she is really screaming, it usually means she doesn't want to go to bed yet. In those cases we usually let her stay up a little later as long as she plays quietly by herself in her room with the door closed. Invariably within half an hour we go back in to check on her and find her sleeping on the floor among her toys.

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