Bed time dramas

[Miamamma]

Hi there. I wasn't sure where to post this, so please feel free to move this.
My 15mo spirited DD has been having major meltdowns at bedtime for a couple of weeks now. As soon as we run the bath, she starts crying. Then the bath itself ends up being a super quick wash down as she screams and tries to climb out. She continues crying whilst we dry and dress her but as soon as we put her in the cot, she relaxes and goes off to sleep. I know it sounds like OT but she even does this after a 40 minute PM nap ending at 4:45pm (bed time is around 6:45/7:00). She doesnt show signs of being tired before we start bed time, or when we read stories before the bath. She is currently in the middle of the 2-1 nap transition but this behaviour seems to occur no matter what her daytime sleep has been. She sleeps brilliantly at night for around 12 hrs.
I can't decide whether this is a routine issue or part of her current 'asserting control 'campaign (we also have struggles with the high chair, bibs, coats, feeding herself etc). Please can anyone shed any light on this for me? I would dearly like to get back to calm and relaxing bedtimes. Thanks 

[skatty]

Hi, I am going to move this to toddler sleep 

[skatty]

I think maybe a change of the bedtime routine may help you decide what the problem is. Have you tried skipping the bath, some go through a bit of an aversion to baths at some stage. It may help to write your typical routine out too, though you may well be right in that she is just asserting hre independance 

[clairebear79]

Agree it would be helpful to see her routine.  My guess is she's not quite tired enough for bedtime & she is creating a fuss to tell you that - 2hrs A time after a 40min nap is pretty short at that age. My DS could do a good 3.5hrs after a 30min nap by 15 months.

[Miamamma]

Thanks girls. I tried no bath last night and she was a bit better. No screaming, just moaning and whining.
A typical day is either:
WU 7:00am
Nap 11:00- 12:30
Nap 4:00 - 4:40
Bed 6:30-7:00

Or she has a one nap day with a nap 1:30-3:00. It sounds a bit all over the place I guess but I'm never sure what the best thing to do is. She doesn't resist naps either way. I have wondered if she was UT but she goes off to sleep so quickly....and she's desperate to get in the cot once we've started bedtime routine (pointing to the cot and sprawling herself over the sleep sac!) our BT routine is:
Milk / stories, bath / brush teeth, dress to lullabies and bed.
I would welcome any suggestions to change it. If I take away the bath, where would this best fit in the day instead?

[skatty]

I think with naps and bedtimes if it aint broke don't fix it  I do think bathtime can be a bit much for some spiriteds right before bed, maybe you could try it after nap 2 and put her in her PJs already and that is two jobs all done and more time for stories/lullabies. I do remember quite well if my dd was tired she would just want to be in her cot and would be quite grizzly otherwise, she is very spirited and I think after a busy day she really looked forward to her bed, I think your dd sounds very similar 

[Miamamma]

Yes, they do! It's good to know we are not the only ones. I will try moving the bath and see how we go. Never a dull day....Just when you think you've got it nailed, they go and change it all up again!