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Expert Q&A
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| By Elizabeth Pantley Child Behavior Expert Better Beginnings, Inc. | ||
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My 11-month-old daughter has suddenly become very hard to get to bed. She screams and cries as if she is afraid. We have tried a night time ritual, and a night light, but nothing works. Any ideas?
Welcome to the club! Dealing with bedtime is one of the most common parental concerns. Kids seem to have come up with all kinds of issues when it comes to the end of the day. At the same time, the parent's battery is draining fast, and getting the baby to bed becomes an obsessive, urgent (and sometimes desperate) need.
Consider the reason your daughter doesn't want to go to bed, and solve the problem based on this reason. For instance, maybe she isn't tired and is ready for a later bedtime, maybe she's hungry and needs a light pre-bedtime snack or maybe she hasn't had enough time with you and is longing for some "cuddle time" before she settles down for the night.
Being the parent of an 11-month-old is hard work. Sometimes when bedtime comes our subconscious desire for sleep interferes with the gentle routine that allows our little one to drift off to sleep peacefully. If you can enjoy the special quiet, cuddly time that bedtime provides, and make it a peaceful, loving event, your daughter may look forward to bedtime instead of fighting it.
Create a very specific bedtime ritual that is loving and enjoyable. Read to her in bed, rub her back, sing her a lullaby. Then turn out the light and snuggle until your child, and perhaps even you, are asleep. Don't feel guilty. In a flash your child will be older and more mature, and you'll be longing for those extra cuddles.
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