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Step 1
Set up a routine and stick to it. The single most important thing you can do to avoid problems with toddlers at bedtime is to give them a sense of pattern. Toddlers respond well to familiarity, and doing the same things each night is a great way to give it to them.
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Step 2
Start the nighttime preparations early, so you do not go past the allotted bedtime. Have your toddler take a bath and brush his teeth well before he actually is ready to go to bed. The warm bath water will also relax him and help him wind down.
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Step 3
Shut down all excitement after supper in the evening. Getting a toddler to go from calm to excited is easy, but going from excited to calm is impossible. Reserve all exciting play for earlier in the day. Wind down when the evening starts and relax with your toddler.
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Step 4
Avoid snacks and all caffeine in the evening hours. It is advisable that you avoid caffeine all together in your toddler, but if you do give any to her, reserve it for early in the day. Otherwise, you will have a wound-up toddler trying to go to sleep on your hands.
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Step 5
Allow for plenty of story time and bonding time at bedtime. This is one of the best times to have your toddler grow close, and for you to enjoy him. Say prayers, tell stories or just listen to your toddler for a half-hour every evening, and you both will benefit more than you can know.
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Step 6
Involve your toddler in the decisions about bedtime. What story will you read her? Let her decide. When you give her options, it helps to build her independence, as well as her listening abilities.
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Step 7
Remember what bedtime was like for you when you were a toddler. If you ever had nightmares, then you know that it is very scary for a child. Be understanding and supportive of his fears of the monsters of the night.
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Step 8
Respond consistently to your child getting out of bed after bedtime. Unless she is getting up to use the bathroom, or had a nightmare, then you should take her back to bed. Make sure she realizes that it is bedtime, and that means she must stay in the bed. Of course, you may make an exception if your child is sick. The point is to be consistent in your discipline.
