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getting toddler into a routine. Advice needed

Hi All,                                                                                                                                                                                 I have a Toddler who will be 3 in July 2010 and at the moment we have a mixed routine with him and I would like to get him into a proper routine before he starts pre-school in Sept 2010 and our baby arrives in Aug 2010.  The problem that I am having at the moment is that he goes to bed a little late and it takes a while for him to settle sometimes, I have tried to leave him but he gets out of bed and throws things on the floor over his stairgate and cries and gets himself worked up. I have to lie down on his bed until he goes to sleep and I know he has to have a routine before the baby and pre-school comes I just don't know where to start. If anyone has any advice for me please tell me and let me know.                                                                     Thanks                                                                                                                                                                             Tibbs.

Replies

  • To be honest, I'd say don't bother trying to impose a routine on you both when so much is going to change.  I tried with my 2 toddlers before my youngest was born and it failed completely once the baby came home and disrupted it all. 

    Once he starts preschool you will have a routine naturally that he understands but until then I'd recommend you relax about it, you probably have more of a routine than you think anyway.  If mealtimes and snacktimes and bedtime routines happen at roughly the same time each day then you will be ok.

    I discovered that my 2 yr old knows what time her favourite programme starts on tv and expected to watch it with a snack.  I thought I had no routine at all until my mother in law pointed out that both girls told her what she should be doing with them while I was in hospital having the baby.  My idea of a routine has never worked but their routine does!

    Good luck with the new baby!

  • My daughter had no routine whatsoever. Just before my second daughter was born I got really worried that I wouldn't be able to cope. Mia, the eldest, adapted to the routine we set when her sister came along. There is so much change that she seemed to welcome a meal, bath & bedtime routine. Everything she knew had changed but at least some things are the same for her every day. It'll be fine.At one point we had either myself, or my partner were sleeping in Mia's bed with her because she was getting upset. She's 20 months old but she understands a bit of what I'm saying. We found a week of a film in her room or playing with us for 30 minutes before bed worked then after that week it was 15 minutes. Now play time is downstairs then we keep telling her we are going to bed. We count the stairs on the way up. She gives kisses then it's bedtime. Any tantrums or shouting and she is told 'bedtime' once and tucked in again. After about 6 weeks she was sleeping straight through and loving bedtime. I read a lot of magazines when I was struggling and all advice is good. Always remeber you know what's best for your children though. You'll know what's working and what isn't. Before you know it you'll have two kids in a routine & loving every minute. Good luck image
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