So, a question for the parents...

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

toddlers and bedtimes.

Any bad experiences that you guys figured out solutions for?

One of the reasons that I haven't been around for a while is that my oldest son lately has been going to bed. Then he gets up, plays/turns on the lights/jumps into his brother's crib/starts talking loud/coming out to say hi to us/etc. The last couple of nights he hasn't stayed in bed until 10:30/11:00. Last night was particularly hard.

Today we seemed to have fixed the problem by making sure he is up from his nap by 3:30. And making him go to sleep first. Tonight, whatever we did seemed to work, but absolutely nothing else that we've tried seems to work.

[Spinning Hat]

We've found that a rigid schedule sets everything up for easy bedtimes. Wake him up from naps at a certain time, pretty regular dinner and bath schedules, and a firm bed time. We've found that bath nights are really good bed times, because our youngest is relaxed, and ready for sleep. (He's almost 2.) Our older 2 are old enough now, that bed time isn't an issue.

Sometimes a good spanking to get the little rascal settled down is in order. Not everyone agrees, but has worked for us for our 3. Don't need to go nuts, just a good swat to get their attention is usually all that's needed.

Lately, a sippy cup with water has been like kryptonite for Cameron as well. Just straight cold tap water, and he takes a few drinks, curls up and heads to sleep. Not recommended if you're potty training, but we're not quite there with him yet.

Hope this helps Asha. It DOES get better, I promise!

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Well, looks like our best solution was having a no-nap kid. He was laying in his noodles at dinner last night; I cleaned him up, changed him, then put him in bed for a marathon 12 hour sleep session. Tonight looks similar, but no face full of noodles at dinner.

Don't want to get my hopes up though. He is a toddler after all.

[Spinning Hat]

Every kid is different.. No doubt. How old is he now? If Cameron doesn't get a nap, we have a little angry monster on our hands... He's got to have nap time, or we're all going to pay for it. I hope the no nap thing works for you.

[XMEN Gambit]

A short nap is almost as good and the kiddo is less cranky. But waking the little guy up on time is important - gotta get him tired out again by bedtime. As Hat said, everyone's different, so YMMV.

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Well, Nathan will be 3 in January.

Our experience was good after my last post. Then today he fell asleep for about 45 minutes (in the car). My wife woke him up at his nap wake-up time, but he just went down for the count (it's a quarter past 10).

I even took him outside to go run off some energy. It worked last night (ran about a hundred yards with him at my parents' house), but tonight was no dice.

Then we found out what the problem was for tonight, and likely he next few nights: diaper rash. He had too many pears and they burned his butt. He's not allergic, it's just too much acid. We run into the same thing with pineapple, strawberries, and oranges: a bit too much and he's got acidic poop.

I think we're on to something with the no naps. And we think that once Nathan is figured out, Bryan will have nap problems.


Both my wife and I have a hard time not laughing when Nathan throws a tantrum though. When he's all worked up, he'll just cry and cry and run to his room crying. Even when you tell him to, "Come here and let daddy hug you", he cries and runs from the room. Or "Dinner is ready!" He wants milk, then he doesn't want it, then he cries. Seriously funny stuff.


Tonight he was telling us how he has "big toots" and "little toots" in the bath tub. "There's a big toot, mommy. There's a little toot, daddy." and so on. It's hard not to laugh.

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Things seem to be working out much better now. Even with visiting grand-parents and going on trips, we've still got good sleepers.

I should be around more often now.