Desperate for advice PLEASE

[carang]

i agree, mommyto3, i find kids here go to bed so late! it still shocks me, even though i've been here for so long and dealing with children of this age on a daily basis... the number of times i have heard about 1-3 year olds going to bed at 11pm or later, is just shocking! i do realise it is very related to culture, though.

my kids now 5 & 7 are in bed by 7:30 on weekdays.... i am a little more lenient during holiday periods though....but then the kids have a nap during the day.

[Gemma]

Thanks ladies.

He goes to bed usually at around 8.30 and yes, I agree I'd like for him to go to bed earlier. He has a 2 hour nap around midday. Problem is dad struggles to be home from work by 8pm and he really cherishes the little time he gets with him each day. They both get very excited when they see each other which is lovely, but does not help things. Dad bathes him at 8 then storytime then bed.

I think I will have to bite the bullet and start his bed routine earlier. I also think he is feeling left out ( with new baby around) by having too short a storytime with us as he is always wanting another book.

This morning he woke up at 6.15 ( he normally wakes up at 7-8, screamed for 3 minutes and sat back down to sleep. In hindsight I think he had a poo and woke himself up.

Thank you for the music suggestion, I might try and play some soft Mozart or something, maybe this will also drown the household noise as well. He is a very light sleeper.

[Gemma]

Do your husbands miss out on seeing the kids in the evening? Or do they spend time w each other in the mornings?

[carang]

how was he last night?

[carang]

we are lucky as daddy works from home, although, one of his busy times during the day is bedtime for the kids. so, i have always put them to bed and daddy goes in to quickly tuck them in when he's finished walking all of the dogs.

[Gemma]

That's v lucky cara. My husband gets depressed if he doesn't see the little man for 24 hours, which sometimes happens if he is super busy. Their bond has grown from strength to strength since our second LO was born. In turn I've felt my bond with him has weakened and that is creating issues with me, but that's a topic for another day :(

[myriam]

I agree that the problem could be that he is overtired so earlier bedtime could help.

I have a 3 year old who has had far more noisy nights than quiet ones in his life. Either nightmare, night terror or just night time fussing, not being able to get back to sleep. Very recently it got worst until a couple nights back when I put the aircon on and he has slept much better since. We do also sleep in the same room (not same bed) and are having trouble changing that.

Good luck, let us know how you do!

[myriam]

We do Daddy time in the morning. Evenings with Daddy don't help the night as Daddy will arrive just as LO is ready for bed and it excits him and delays the whole routine. But it's easy in the morning since LO gets up before 6am and Dad does not have to go to work until 8am.