Very young children can go through a sticky stage around the age of about two to three. These are the years that are jam packed with accelerated development. From birth to age three, your child learns to walk, talk, and toilet train, eat, play and use multiple skills. By the time they reach two or three, their routine should be firmly fixed but some people experience deep trauma when trying to keep their child eating and drinking the right things, and going to bed at the right time.
The formula is very simple - find a routine which suits you and your children and stick with it. Do not allow this routine to be overturned either by you, the children, or indeed by grandparents and friends. Getting a child back on track after disruption is a nightmare, so it is far better to avoid the nightmare, rather than try to fix the damage later.
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So many parents struggle with small kids aged two to four, trying to get them to agree to go to bed, sometimes right up to midnight or 1 am when they themselves are preparing for bed. This is a fatal situation to get into and there are ways to avoid the problem.
In the first place, small kids take an afternoon nap and this nap can run into a couple of hours. There is a point at which your child no longer physically needs this sleep in the afternoon. Indeed, there is a point at which the continuance of this habit intrudes into night time sleep. That is the point where you have a fractious child unable to feel sleepy enough to go to bed at the right time.
Okay, so you are reading this because you have a monster kid with the energy of two athletic teams at midnight and you are going out of your mind. The men with white jackets are already parked outside! The solution is painful but it works.
No more afternoon sleeping. Forget it, it's not happening any more. That wonderful two hours freedom in the afternoons to do the ironing in peace or watch daytime television is history. Comfort yourself that your evenings are going to improve and be grateful.
Your child may have a dummy or pacifier. Try to distract your child from wanting a pacifier at the usual nap time. Hide it somewhere, or better still take your child to the park or even just for a walk (not in a buggy where they will fall asleep). The object of this exercise is to tire your child. The setback is that it can have the effect of tiring you too but do not worry too much about that, you will get your rest later.
As soon as you return home, your child will want to sleep. This is the bad, bad time when you have a screaming kid who cannot understand why Mummy won't let him/her sleep for a few minutes. Do not cuddle and try to pacify in that way, rather try to amuse for an hour or so. Do whatever you have to do - sing, play, read, colour books, whatever. Stretch this time out, if you can, until tea time or supper time. Do not leave your child watching television while you prepare their meal, as by this time they will be well and truly exhausted. The meal will serve to take your child over the most difficult part of the early evening.
This meal should consist of nourishing food, not three processed desserts just because your child is having a tantrum. Do not substitute food with sweets when your child will not eat. As soon as you do this your child will cease to eat proper food because they know you will relent and give them sweet things. Put up with the tantrums and cut out the sweet stuff until your problems are resolved. Half an hour after supper, put your child into a nice warm bath and make sure you play gentle water games in the bath, not rowdy, screaming fun time please. Do not forfeit bath time or refuse your child playtime in the bath because you are in a hurry - organise yourself better so your child has this important and calming time in the bathroom.
Once bath time is over, put your child into bed and sit with a picture or story book. Do not sit on the sofa watching television; make sure the child is actually in bed. Most children, after rigorous exercise and a warm bath and with a full tummy, will sleep peacefully for many hours. If yours does not, then persevere for a few more days as it is possible your child may still be stressed from having the pacifier withheld, or just be upset by the changes you have made in routine.
It is well worth making the effort to stick to this routine. Your child will eat and sleep better, and enjoy the attention at story time. What is more, you will avoid being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Coping with Difficult Children at Bedtime Justin Bieber - As Long As You Love Me ft. Big Sean Video Clips. Duration : 5.87 Mins.Rating: 4.588029
Music video by Justin Bieber performing As Long As You Love Me. © 2012 The Island Def Jam Music Group
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