Is there anything I can do to improve his mood?

[labrodyk]

Thanks for your suggestions! I've only been home a few days but I'm already struggling with him.

I can't get him to willingly take a nap, at any time. We calm down, try to read books but then he starts screaming to keep playing or more books despite being tired. I got into a screaming match with him today and now I feel so terrible.

What can I do?

[Buttonbobs]

If you are regularly getting nap resistance/refusals then it might be time to make a tweak, but only if it is happening consistently. Could you post your EAS for us for the last few days?

[labrodyk]

He's fine once he gets into bed - takes up to 15min at nap and 30mins at bedtime to fall asleep but it's the getting him into his room, turn gro clock on, hop into bed that causes issues. Heaven forbid you offer 'assistance' with any of these, he loses his mind and screams "harry dooooo, mummy go away".

EAS is all over the place so no real consistency but...

WU: 6 or earlier.
Gro clock: 6.45. Stays happily in bed until the sun comes up but doesn't go back to sleep.
Nap: 1.30-3. Have been waking him but he doesn't like that much and after all the fussing it might be 1.50 by the time he's actually asleep and I then feel bad waking him.
BT: 7.30. Asleep by 8 usually.

I thought by moving the nap out that he'd sleep longer in the morning but it's not doing anything.

Bedtime resistance is nowhere near as bad but he'll procrastinate with asking to do another wee or take ages crawling up the bed and under covers or keep calling me back to chat, kiss, etc once I've left. I usually indulge him for the wee (mostly an attempt but sometimes he'll go) and I go back in once and kiss him again and then I say no more. He doesn't hop out of his bed at the moment which I guess is a good thing.

[labrodyk]

After trying to keep H awake yesterday in the car at 1.20, tantrums, tears and refusing to nap, he FINALLY fell asleep in his bed after 2pm. I let him sleep and he woke on his own at 3.20. I then adjusted bedtime and put him down at 7.50pm. It then resulted in a groan/noise at 3.30am but then not a peep until 6.55am and he hopped out of bed at 7 when gro clock sun came up.

I have NO idea what to make of this at all. Later nap, later bedtime, complete exhaustion or coincidence? Is there any way of trying to maintain this?

Thanks so much.

[Buttonbobs]

How old is he now?

It may just be he really needs a later nap now. You say you pushed the nap later recently, how long ago was that and how much later had you moved it. Perhaps try the same times tomorrow and see how you get on?

[labrodyk]

He's 25 mo now, 26 months on the 15-Dec.
 
I've been going back and forward between 1 and 1.30 for months and months now because he keeps getting into these overtired loops. I can't work out when the optimal time is based on his mood/signs as he's all over the place. He was dead tired and tantrumming non stop from midday yesterday. he was definitely overtired and worked up from yesterday which was why he took so long to fall asleep once I got him into bed....

Not really sure what times to try as it was all so sporadic and crazy! 2pm (hopefully he wakes by 3.30) with BT at 8? Would prefer not to push bedtime any later than that.

[Buttonbobs]

It might be that while the nap is possibly a little early for him it will lead to days when Ut and days when OT, while a slightly later nap may even out his sleep.

Is he teething at all?

[labrodyk]

Thanks Naomi, I'll try from 2pm (?) today and see how we go!

We've been teething for 2 years. Lol. I think we have 1 molars are still sprouting. They're all through I think, just growing down.

Eta: we didn't have tantrums but he took 10mins of 2 x bathroom trips, tucking in to get into bed and screamed "mummy come back here" when I closed the door - was 2pm when I left. but then woke at 3.13 so likely it was an hour or less of sleep by the time he fell asleep/woke up. I set his gro clock to 3.30 so he stayed in bed until then. Was pretty good the rest of the afternoon but got really excitable tonight and again procrastinated with bathroom trips but he was in bed at 7.55 with a little chatter just after 8 so hopefully he's gone to sleep now.

You'd think after 2 years I'd have some idea of H's sleep and what to do with him! Lol.

Thanks for your help. 

[labrodyk]

Hmmm, came running into my room at 11.30pm - first night he's come out of bed since we moved to BBB. Walked him back quietly and quickly. strange!! Ok, better get back to sleep - just thought I'd mention incase you saw this today.

.....and awake from 5.50am but quiet until 7 when he bounded out of his room with gro clock sun up.

[labrodyk]

Hi ladies!

Just keeping tabs for my own sanity and incase anyone has any thoughts.

We're having a few NW's in particular last night at 3.30 he called out to do a wee. So i took him in silence (he went) and tucked him back in. I thought he went off to sleep but it wasn't for at least an hour that he finally settled - was talking and playing with his comforters. I then hear him just before 6 but he's been laying quietly until 7 on the dot when again gro clock sun comes up.


So the tantrums have leveled out to be replaced with continued toilet trips and stalling for nap and bedtime. Today I refused to get him up after he'd gone down for a nap screaming wee at the top of his lungs. Went on for a couple of mins then was quiet and came bounding out of his room at 3.30 when gro clock sun came up. should I extend the gro clock sun later for nap to 4 or is 3.30 ok?

He's also been really excitable and I can't determine whether this is his happy self (which we've missed because he was UT/OT cranky) or if the short nap/rest and short night + NW are making him a little OT and over the top.

ETA: I had to draw the line tonight at saying goodnight and closing the door as usual but not going back in. He'd done a good wee right before bed so I knew he didn't need to go. He cried "wee mummy" "come back here now" "come back please mummy" and squealed them too for almost 5 mins and still chatting at 8.30!! Hopefully he falls asleep soon. Does this sound like OT or just 2yo bedtime delay antics?

Thanks everyone.

[Truly Blessed]

Hi Sweetie, first of all lots of ((((((HUGS)))))) almost all of us have been in a similar situation with our LO's, the 2 year leap was a nightmare in this house, I remember it very well, foreveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!! lol.

So, because this could be the 2 year developmental leap, and with everything in the mix it's a tricky one to judge. However, I am now wondering (just wondering) if this is the start of the 1-0  Nap refusal is obviously part of the 1-0. So I am posting this link for you to take a look at, and let me know your thoughts. There is so much to the 1-0 transition, and it was certainly an education for me, so at the time I devised this info. Some light reading for you 

I'll be here when you've taken a look and have some thoughts on the matter Honey.

The 1-0 transition...Advice and Tips to help you through.

Vicki.x.

[labrodyk]

Vicki! Hi and Thanks so much for your hugs of support and the light reading! 1-0? Where the hell did that come from?!

I'll be honest with you - he needs a nap!! Since I've pushed it out to 2pm (from 1.30) the last few days he has been so much more agreeable to take a nap so I'm happy with that plus it seems to have helped lengthen our mornings. As has an 8pm bedtime - well at least he's quietly in the morning but again, he's out of his room like a shot come 7am.
He doesn't like to be woken from a nap but he's obviously awake prior to 3.30 as he jumps out of bed the second his sun ticks over. Lol.

He's always taken a long time at night to settle; guess I'm just worried now with the shorter nights plus waling for the toilet or whatever reason that it all isn't enough...

Thanks so much for your help

Laura
x

[Truly Blessed]

He doesn't like to be woken from a nap but he's obviously awake prior to 3.30 as he jumps out of bed the second his sun ticks over. Lol.

Oh I hear you Hun, DS absolutely HATED being woken from a nap, and I absolutely HATED doing it! Necessary evil unfortunately. Other than keep riding this out, the only other thing you could try is shortening the nap and the overall day length.

 

I'd ride it out for now though, as you've seen improvement.

x.

[Buttonbobs]

Honey, this 1-0 transition is a really long one - it took possibly 6 months from start to finish with DD and even now he does need a bit of tweaking. You are probably at the start of things but there's no doubt he still needs his nap. We could never wake DD from her naps, she absolutely hard it. It did mean shorter nights for us towards the end of the process but it worked best for E overall. I would stick with that later nap now he's happy with it and if he starts getting really miserable and refusing BT if the nap gets later again you can deal with that when you need to.

Xx

[labrodyk]

Thank you ladies! As usual you are all incredibly helpful and supportive.

Last night was different again with some unsettledness around 11pm for about an hour and then woke around 6 but was quiet for an hour. Today at the shops at midday he had a grand mal meltdown about getting back in the car and was so exhausted he was falling asleep in his car seat. His behaviour alwaus has me second guessing everything I'm doing

Will keep things as they are I guess. He's totally Mr Independent in that I cannot do ANYTHING. Makes it hard when he can't do something for safety reasons. Coupled with my sore and recovering back (just got an infection!!!), we both just end up frustrated and upset.

He's so tired and upset but wants to keep playing, screaming to do a wee or a poo. He's driving me crazy!! But obviously some OT built up because he's slept through his gro clock to almost 2hrs.