So since Friday, every time I have to put Maria down for bedtime or a nap, it’s a fight.
She throws everything out of her crib and then jumps up and down in her crib, while yelling for me.
The only night she has not done this was Sunday when Chad put her down. This is not an effective solution either, in that if I am home she wants Mommy and will cry when Daddy tries to read her stories and rock her. On Sunday this worked because I started out sitting on the floor while he read to her and quietly over a period of 3 stories crept backwards out of the room.
The first time it worked I took her out and gave her “nose against the wall”, which we’re learning she thinks is funny and will often be naughty and then “punish” herself… so much for that!
Sunday afternoon, I threatened to not paint her toenails as I had promised and for the first 10 minutes after that she lay in bed crying “I want Mommy paint my toes. I want Mommy paint my toes…” It only lasted 10 minutes and then she proceeded to sleep for 2 hours which is twice her normal nap time.
Last night and tonight I had to resort to taking her “Lovey” away for a few minutes and shutting the door, before she realized I was serious.
I’m open to advice or suggestions. Really! She does have a cold, so maybe that’s part of it, but really, it’s just exhausting me and dreading a routine I feel like I should really be enjoying. How could you not enjoy stories and cuddles with a fresh out of the bath toddler!?
Blog, Jane! Blog! 
Bedtime has been a HUGE struggle for us since we moved Owen to a toddler bed. I totally feel your pain. My best advice is keep up with the routine. You will probably need to do the cry it out method for a while but hopefully she will catch on if you stick with it. Consistency is the key….
Oh the phases of 2-year-olds! Our precious little ones are asserting their independence. My only advice: this too shall pass. It sounds like you are being consistent and mean business. Keep it up, Mommy!
Oh Jane. It could have been my household you were writing about!! Bedtime has been quite the struggle for us for quite a while now. Bath- fine, picking out jammies- fine, actually putting him in bed- miserable. Aside from the fact that he really only wants Daddy to do anything, he’s going through a (HORRIBLE TERRIBLE) phase where he can’t make up his mind. For instance- We will put him in bed. Nolan then cries that he wants a hug. So then one of us leans in to pick him up for a snuggle. Then he screams and buries himself into his pillow because he doesn’t want a hug. But then, when you start to leave, he cries for a hug. It’s very tiring. Or, he’ll ask for a group hug (my favorite) but then pushes me away. So, I’ll go to leave and he’ll cry about a group hug. (This scenario works for any choice he has to make: milk/water, PB/tuna, Bambi/Nemo.) So we’ve come to the point where if he rejects whatever he’s asked for when we try to give it to him, choice is over. So, if after asking for a hug then rejecting it- we leave and it’s bedtime. He cries. He sobs. Then he falls asleep. It’s getting easier on us, now that we have decided on the rules- He asks for A, then rejects it because he wants B- game over. So now we’re both on the same page with how to handle said meltdowns. It helps me to know that David would handle it the same way if it were him.