Question
We have a 3.5 year old and each night, we have a routine that we go through with her - bath, put on pajamas, brush teeth, choose two books and read them, sing a couple of songs, and pray before lights out. Bedtime typically falls between 7:30 - 8:00 PM each night and she sleeps soundly for about 11-12 hours. We try to go through the routine calmly but most evenings, she tries to find every which way to deviate from it. And most evenings, she ends up having a screaming meltdown because we've told her the next step, given her time to respond, and then she procrastinates - in a big way. Tickets seem moot at that point and we've tried skipping books and songs as a consequence. Tonight, for instance, once it was time to go in her room to read, she threw herself on the floor and screamed. We ended up having to carry her into her room. What can we do to make bedtime happier and calmer? I don't want her last thoughts as she closes her eyes to be about the meltdown that just ensued!
