I hope this is a phase!

gymnst1013

Bedtime has become an absolute nightmare these past couple of weeks!  N is good through bath but when it comes time to get his diaper and jams on and then read him a couple of books, it's all over.  It takes 2 of us to get him clothed - every time I try to lay him down he arches his back or flips right over or yanks his feet out of my hand.  He is constantly reaching and whining for something but I have yet to figure out what that thing is.  I suspect he doesn't know either.  And when we read to him he squirms all over our laps, trying to get down, whining for that unknown whatever it is and on and on and on.  I pretty much give up and just turn out the light and nurse him then put him to bed.  He's fine at that point and goes down without a peep.  It's just all the lead-up that is crazy.  I have no clue what to do to make things go smoother.  All suggestions welcome!

Are any of you going through this/have gone through this?  Did it get better?  Please?

jcsumm0

Yeeeesssss this is us too.  I don't know where it came from.  I am trying to experiment with different things but so far I haven't gotten anywhere, so I can offer you only sympathy.

I am wondering if I need to adjust her awake time between last nap and bed and/or make the bedtime routine longer so she gets more of a wind-down period.

jellybeanjean

Sam is similar, but I've yet to be able to read a book to him just because his personality is the busiest I've ever seen in a kid.  It's go, go, go, go, go, go or scream.  Dressing in general is a nightmare.  Sometimes songs or a specific toy (more often a shoe or a lotion bottle) helps a bit, but it's a battle every time. 

That being said, this sounds like a phase.  Everything in parenting, if not directly related to their personality (and even then, you can work with it/mold it) is a phase.  Since this started out of nowhere, I bet it'll be over in a few weeks.  They're just at a "I don't want to be confined" stage and are exerting their new-found wills.  

Soxgirl07

We have nights like this. Generally when DS is super tired. What about starting bedtime 15 minutes earlier?

Sometimes DH or I can distract him by playing peek-a-boo behind the other ones' back while they are getting him changed, etc. 

LollyBug18

Em started doing something similar a month or so back and one night we were at our wits end and decided we didn't know what else to do other than putting her to bed early. That was the night her bed time moved up an hour. So, maybe he's super tired and needs to go down a little earlier?

nic5606

Right there with ya!! 

 The minute we go to the bedroom all hell breaks loose.  He twists, arches and rolls to avoid a new diaper and pjs.

And screaming and crying all the while.  Not fun at all. I hope this is a phase and ends soon for all of us.

amberpro

C does this when he's over tired. Maybe move up his routine?  If I know C didn't get a good afternoon nap, I'll move up his bedtime routine then let him play until he seems ready to go down.  The later I try to "mess" with him, the harder it is. 

Also, at nighttime dressing and diaper changes, I have to continuously sing and he always has to have something in his hands (lotion bottles are a favorite).  

On books, I let him lead the way. Sometimes he will sit through 3, sometimes he'll bring me books periodically throughout the evening, sometimes he won't sit through even one. If he's not in the mood, I don't force it. I let him crawl down and go about his business.  I don't want him to hate story time.  

nfrtny

I just give DS the bottle when we're having issues like changing his diaper or bed time. That is definitely one good thing for me since I stopped nursing.

When it's not time for a bottle though, I usually give him something he's not normally allowed to have for diaper changes, and then take it away from him as soon as we're done. I try to sing, or play peekaboo, and blow raspberries on his tummy as much as possible. He's also completely fascinated with this little piggy, so I do that as well. Sometimes just saying it and not even touching his feet makes him happy lol.

But in all honesty, if he's really flipping out, I just let him run off without a diaper/clothes, and then come back to it in a couple minutes. 

gymnst1013

LollyBug18:

Em started doing something similar a month or so back and one night we were at our wits end and decided we didn't know what else to do other than putting her to bed early. That was the night her bed time moved up an hour. So, maybe he's super tired and needs to go down a little earlier?

I might agree with you except for the fact that he wakes up from his last nap at around 5:30 and goes to bed around 7:30 or 8. 

gymnst1013

Thanks for the suggestions ladies!  I'm filing them all away for future use.

march2008

gymnst1013:

LollyBug18:

Em started doing something similar a month or so back and one night we were at our wits end and decided we didn't know what else to do other than putting her to bed early. That was the night her bed time moved up an hour. So, maybe he's super tired and needs to go down a little earlier?

I might agree with you except for the fact that he wakes up from his last nap at around 5:30 and goes to bed around 7:30 or 8. 

Is it possible that he's napping too late in the day and that's making him hard to wind down at night?

I really have no idea, but we're in the same boat. DD used to go to bed by 8 pm for the longest time and now we're having a really hard time. I personally think she's in the over tired camp, though because her naps have gone to crap again all of the sudden. I think she's teething again. It seems like there is ALWAYS something new going on that messes up her sleep!

MLF135

march2008:

gymnst1013:

LollyBug18:

Em started doing something similar a month or so back and one night we were at our wits end and decided we didn't know what else to do other than putting her to bed early. That was the night her bed time moved up an hour. So, maybe he's super tired and needs to go down a little earlier?

I might agree with you except for the fact that he wakes up from his last nap at around 5:30 and goes to bed around 7:30 or 8. 

Is it possible that he's napping too late in the day and that's making him hard to wind down at night?

This.  Seems like 5:30 is really late to be getting up from a nap at this age. 

flows912

jellybeanjean:

They're just at a "I don't want to be confined" stage and are exerting their new-found wills.  

I think it's this. These days I can't get my LO to sit on my lap for bedtime stories -- he immediately slides off my lap, onto the floor and heads straight for his bookshelf to pull off all his books. 

gymnst1013

march2008:

gymnst1013:

LollyBug18:

Em started doing something similar a month or so back and one night we were at our wits end and decided we didn't know what else to do other than putting her to bed early. That was the night her bed time moved up an hour. So, maybe he's super tired and needs to go down a little earlier?

I might agree with you except for the fact that he wakes up from his last nap at around 5:30 and goes to bed around 7:30 or 8. 

Is it possible that he's napping too late in the day and that's making him hard to wind down at night?

It's definitely possible. It will take some doing to change his last naptime   Our sitter leaves at 4 and he refuses to nap while she's here so 4:15 is usually the earliest I can get him down.

LollyBug18

gymnst1013:

march2008:

gymnst1013:

LollyBug18:

Em started doing something similar a month or so back and one night we were at our wits end and decided we didn't know what else to do other than putting her to bed early. That was the night her bed time moved up an hour. So, maybe he's super tired and needs to go down a little earlier?

I might agree with you except for the fact that he wakes up from his last nap at around 5:30 and goes to bed around 7:30 or 8. 

Is it possible that he's napping too late in the day and that's making him hard to wind down at night?

It's definitely possible. It will take some doing to change his last naptime   Our sitter leaves at 4 and he refuses to nap while she's here so 4:15 is usually the earliest I can get him down.

Hm, so maybe instead of going to bed earlier, he needs to go a little later? Or skip his nap altogether? Is he acting tired at 4 and at bedtime? Yawning, rubbing his eyes, that sort of thing? Emma is usually up from her 2nd nap by 4 and then in bed around 8:30 these days so starting a nap at 4 and then going to bed 3.5 hours later does sound like it would be hard. Good luck figuring it out, they certainly keep us guessing, don't they?

SarahKate31

DS definitely squirms and fights when we're getting his pjs on and getting him ready for bed. God helps us if we need to suction his nose - he HATES that. But then we do a bottle and after the bottle, he's getting drowsy so he sits (relatively) still for one book. Then bed.

kimbo1216

I've decided that Audrey is just way too busy.  There is just too much she wants to get into. lol.  We have started really asserting our authority during this time.  She gets a lot of very stern "no ma'ams" and we hold her still.  Any time she tries to move, we hold her tight.  Sometimes I try to distract her by putting something in my mouth (she finds that HI-larious for some reason, lol).  It's taken time, but it has gotten better.

I think (in my amateur experience) when dealing with stuff like this, it will be really important to maintain control as much as possible.

skrichar

gymnst1013:

Bedtime has become an absolute nightmare these past couple of weeks!  N is good through bath but when it comes time to get his diaper and jams on and then read him a couple of books, it's all over.  It takes 2 of us to get him clothed - every time I try to lay him down he arches his back or flips right over or yanks his feet out of my hand.  He is constantly reaching and whining for something but I have yet to figure out what that thing is.  I suspect he doesn't know either.  And when we read to him he squirms all over our laps, trying to get down, whining for that unknown whatever it is and on and on and on.  I pretty much give up and just turn out the light and nurse him then put him to bed.  He's fine at that point and goes down without a peep.  It's just all the lead-up that is crazy.  I have no clue what to do to make things go smoother.  All suggestions welcome!

Are any of you going through this/have gone through this?  Did it get better?  Please?

This is pretty much how every clothes change is - day or night. Some diaper changes bring on the crazy as well. I think they are just so busy now, and it's worse when they get sleepy because their reaction is to fight it. It drives me crazy too! I hope it passes, but my sis has an 18 mth old, and she says it just gets worse!

march2008

skrichar:

gymnst1013:

Bedtime has become an absolute nightmare these past couple of weeks!  N is good through bath but when it comes time to get his diaper and jams on and then read him a couple of books, it's all over.  It takes 2 of us to get him clothed - every time I try to lay him down he arches his back or flips right over or yanks his feet out of my hand.  He is constantly reaching and whining for something but I have yet to figure out what that thing is.  I suspect he doesn't know either.  And when we read to him he squirms all over our laps, trying to get down, whining for that unknown whatever it is and on and on and on.  I pretty much give up and just turn out the light and nurse him then put him to bed.  He's fine at that point and goes down without a peep.  It's just all the lead-up that is crazy.  I have no clue what to do to make things go smoother.  All suggestions welcome!

Are any of you going through this/have gone through this?  Did it get better?  Please?

This is pretty much how every clothes change is - day or night. Some diaper changes bring on the crazy as well. I think they are just so busy now, and it's worse when they get sleepy because their reaction is to fight it. It drives me crazy too! I hope it passes, but my sis has an 18 mth old, and she says it just gets worse!

That's not great to hear, but at least she's being honest, I guess!  

chloephoebecali

DS does this every clothing and diaper change and has been for a few months now.  It is a nightmare.  He just does not want to be held down/confined, even if for a few minutes.  He even squirms after holding him for a while.  He just wants to move around.  I ignore his fussiness.  I'm sure he will eventually grow out of it.  BTW, DD didn't carry on nearly as much as he does.

waterfall11

DD completely flipped out most every night at bedtime from 8 to 10 months.  I feel for you as I know how miserable it is to end the day like that.  The last month has been much better with only the occasional bedtime meltdown.  I didn't change anything I do so it must have just been a phase.