Anyone have advice on how to calm a 3 year old down at bed time. It’s been a solid year that my daughter cries and screams and hyperventilates when it’s time to go to bed all because she wants me to sit with her. When I have sat with her, she wants to talk and takes over an hour to go to sleep. We don’t do drinks or tv at bed time, she’s afraid of the dark so we put light strips up in her room, I have her choose which stuffed animals she wants to snuggle for the night but it’s not good enough. She has a younger sister and older brother that get bothered by this at times.
1 Like
My almost three year old is also afraid of the dark She has a Disney Princess nightlight- the kind where the image projects onto the ceiling- and she’s only ever had it on Ariel… after my older two are in bed (and this has only been in the last week or so, so don’t think I’m an expert at this), I tell her to (pick a couple buddies and) go lay down I tuck her in, sing a lullaby (I can’t sing but she likes when I try), and remind her a couple times she needs her rest and should go to sleep (amid several repeats of “Mama? Mama? Mama?”)
I check back a short while later, and she’s fast asleep!
I had one little 2 year old that would sleep in her bed, she cried all the time I took her to the doctor and he had her to leave the room but she heard him say if she cries spank her and put her back in her bed. I never had to spank her and she slept in her bed.
1 Like
I encourage you to dedicate fifteen minutes to talk then tell her it’s sleep time and read a book or something while she drifts off. You could also put her bed by yours to make her more secure. For kids with busy minds audio books can be a good idea to try.
Why complain about her wanting to sit and talk with you . Enjoy the time she wants with you.