Groundhog Night....I'm going insane.

[Lulu]

*This is a marathon*

This is getting utterly ridiculous. It's 10.30pm and the kids are only NOW getting to sleep.

DS has been a nightmare to get to sleep since day dot. He is now three and we are pretty much through it. The only problem is the three-ring-circus it takes to get him into bed. What we had was far from ideal but it worked and we were at the point of just reducing the time the circus started and wean him off it. Nik is a total d!#khead and thinks a rip-roaring story (made up on the spot) that ends up being a cross between Thomas Saves the Day and Die Hard is appropriate for bedtime and I can't get it through his thick head that it stirs him up through the roof. When I'm on my own it's still a bit of a muck around but it's peaceful.

That's not even the problem any more (but it felt good to get it out). Now DD has decided sleep is not for her AT ALL. I had her in a lovley, fast bedtime routine,she never minded going to bed too much, but she is a light sleeper. So much so I prefer to sleep on the couch because the mere action of me walking into the bedroom is sometimes enough to wake her *sob*. (WE share a room, I can't see the possibility of moving her in with her brother ever at this rate).

She started running and hiding at bedtime occasionally, now it's developed into screaming blue murder from the moment I utter the word 'bed'. YOu can't put her in the cot and walk away (although we do for our own sanity), the noise is unbearable and I can't put the neighbours through it anymore. I mean DS finally difts off and then she starts at it.

Before you get out the flaming torches, let me make it clear. She is nearly 2. Her crying is not really distressed. It's more like she is so TOTALLY P!SSED OFF. She isn't frightened ( I am a firm believer in the boogeyman), she just won't go to bed.

I have gone to bed with her tonight - for an hour and a half she has been jumping and throwing herself all over the bed, the cot. It's 10.45 now, and she may have gone to sleep. This has been going on for a week. My eyes are hanging out of my head. I have no energy to do anything all day, and I have to help a friend at work tomorrow. It's going to be full on and physically demanding and I'm dreading it.

I'm quickly going nuts. What am I going to doooooooooooooo????

[DoubleK]

oh Lulu i wish i could give you some advice!!!


I'm still feeding Krystal to sleep... so my night involves sitting on the couch, with her feeding for 2 mins, then jumping off to get a book, then coming back for 30 seconds then going to do something else, like put her shoes on or something.... then all of a sudden....... i can see eyelids! its an adventure! but doesnt involve any screaming thank god!!

[fionas]

I'm sorry Lulu, I have absolutely no idea except perhaps soundproof one room, shove them both in it and leave them to it.

Not very constructive I know!

[Astrid]

Oh no Lulu - sounds a lot like Maggie, except atleast once she is asleep we don't have to be too quiet. Some nights just for sanity sake I would just not bother trying to get her to sleep, just let her hang in the lounge until she looked tired enough. Other nights I would just for a drive, even if it did not put her to sleep, it took the stress out of the situation, not sure if that is possible with 2 kids.

Not sure what goes through there little heads sometimes.