Getting your toddler in bed can be a challenge and a nightly fight. Going to bed ends play time and separates her from you! So resistance is not unexpected. Having a calm bedtime routine works best. Make sure that bedtime is the same time every night. Be aware that most toddlers’ natural bedtime is around 6 to 8 pm. When schedules from work or sibling’s sports interfere with that natural bedtime then your toddler gets an adrenaline surge, YIKES. Watch when she actually looks sleepy in a non-eventful evening. That time is most likely her natural bedtime. Avoid naps past 4 pm even in the car seat. Generally, most 4-year Old’s do not need a nap at all. Using a “monster spray” (a spray bottle with lavender oil) or a “magic flashlight” to scare away the shadows and calm the separation anxiety works well. If she calls out wait a few seconds before responding, use a calm reassuring voice. If she gets out of bed, then calmly walk her back to her bed without talking as many times as it takes. Use a calendar with stickers or a paper token to reward when she stays in bed. As you persist in a calm manner she will get the message, “Resistance is futile!”
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