When Do You Put Your 2 Year Old to Bed?

sigh. this is a tough age. Whenever I say that, people always go, "but they are so cute! It's fun watching them become independent." Yes, it is. But the tantrums when things don't play out the way they see it in their heads, the fighting naps, bedtime, etc. these things are not fun. Sure, they go away if you keep a schedule and stick to it, but it sure is draining,.

My 2 year old goes to bed at different times. He was going to bed at 8, waking at 7:30 and taking a 2 hour nap. Then we went to Ireland to visit the family after xmas. While away, he decided he was "done" with naps. So, we'd put him to bed at 7, and he'd sleep to 7 (so at least 2 hours less a day of sleep!)

I am currently trying to get him to nap, but if he naps longer than 30 minutes, he is up to 9 at night, and then wakes around 7:30. So, to answer your question: when he naps, we put him to bed at 8, when he doesn't nap,7.

I'm a big fan of a short nap in the afternoon (30 minutes) and the 7:30 bedtime. We still have my daughter to put to bed, so we are doing the bedtime routine to 8, but it's nice to not have him asking for yet another book.

At two, my girls went to bed at 7:30 and woke up about 7am. They also napped from 12:30 - 2:30. There were certainly days that they didn't want to nap but I stuck to it and they kept napping until they turned 4. Kids need a lot of sleep. If you can ensure it happens, your child will be happier (and so will you!)

our little two yr old says good night to everyone then i put her in bed cover her up and tell her good night. with pj's and everything its about twenty mins. there is no rocking. we gave that up around one year of age. if that is something important to you then really 45 mins is not that long. they are only going to allow you to hold you for so long, they grow up quick. i would cherish these long nights for as long as you can. i dont rock because it dose not sooth my kids and i really dont want too. i am exausted by bed time. we started reading a short book for my son when he turned three. he can pick from a few different books we switch out with our little child library of books. we read the same book twice (takes about twenty mins) then he is not to get out of his bed again.

I would start making your routine shorter :) We put our almost 3 yr old to bed sometime between 7:30pm and 8pm. Our "routine" is brush teeth, bath, dry hair, goodnight hugs and kisses, prayer, and bed. Some days she'll want a book in bed with her, and she's allowed to "read" in bed for as long as she wants. Mommy and daddy do NOT stay in the room, and she's pretty good about actually staying IN bed (as opposed to getting up and playing, which she has done maybe 2 or 3 times).

She's pretty "hit or miss" with naps at this point, but she usually has a 1 - 1.5 hr nap around 1pm.

It sounds like you are doing whatever is being asked. If so, that will only drag the time out longer. You determine what the routine is and stick to it - that way you and your hubby get to have some time together. If you are staying with your child until she falls asleep, that could be part of the problem. A child needs to learn to fall asleep on their own at some point without you being there until they do. It was really nice once we taught our kids that they could go to sleep without us. I think our relationship was stronger because of that time each night together.

Some kids take naps and others don't. My daughter just had to have quiet time as she wouldn't take a nap. It wasn't worth the battle as she slept through the night. My son went to sleep whenever told. Two extremes.

DD stopped napping regularly around 2.5. We had some late nights but started implementing a 9:30 bedtime. For us, that works. If DD is tired or woke up early, we start the routine earlier and she might go to bed at 8:30. She doesn't yet go to preschool and is not currently in daycare. If it's hard to get her down by 8, look and see if there are any other factors. Is this since the time change, for example?

Went to bed about 7:30-8:30 and took a nap in the afternoon when my kids were 2 years old. Grandsons go down at 8 and they're 3 and still take afternoon naps too. They get up very early though since parents work early. They sleep about 2 hours in the afternoon.

oh man, i am having this issue too! not only that, but now my 2 yr old doesnt want to sleep in the bed alone.. he cries and cries... we have to sleep with him in the bed until he falls asleep, then he wakes up around 1am to come and sleep with mommy and daddy in our bed. he naps usually around 1.5-2 hours at daycare every day... but he makes up for that when we get home, because he is non stop either playing outdoors or down in our basement, so i know he is tired when he goes to bed. we have tried keeping him up until 9pm, thinking that maybe he wouldnt throw such a fit and be tired and not want to fight... but it is the same with that time too... it will be a work in progress for us.. im afraid.

Our nightime routine is "up to" 30 minutes, if he takes a bath at night (sometimes he's had to shower before dinner if he's all muddy or "boy smelling") He goes to bed at 8:30, no night light. I learned that a night light just enables him to get up when I leave. We brush teeth, ONE cuddled up story on the couch (both boys at the same time), prayer, then kisses to all and lights out.
He might not go to sleep immediately (sometimes he's asleep within 5 minutes, other times I can hear him talking or singing to himself for a good half hour, but we don't acknowledge it). He is in bed from 8:30 until he wakes up on his own anywhere from 6 to 6:45am. He eat lunch around 11:45 or 12. His nap starts between 12:45 to 1pm, and he sleeps 90-120 minutes depending on what we've done that day and how well he slept the night before.
We've learned to get him into bed as just a simple matter of fact: "this is what is going to happen, I love you, the end". Otherwise, we would have (and did in the past have) the same issues as you, where we're just exhausted and have nothing left for each other. And that's not ok. Evenings can be firm but still loving! And good rest and quality time together makes for nicer, happier mornings that are more fun for all too. :)

My daughter was just here with our two year old grandchild and she is doing so well with being consistent with that stuff. I helped too when I kept her for four days. We started the routine of reading, rocking and then in the bed.
Nap @ 1:00. Rocks while she reads two books then puts her in her baby bed or while she was here she laid down with her and read the two books then closed her eyes and the kids was out in less than 5 min.
At night she goes to bed around 7:30 to 8 pm was the latest and again it is rock, read two books put on sound machine and put her in her bed. She cried at first for brief periods but you just calmly say it is time to go night night. We'll play in the morning or when you get up. Be consistent. If you give in once then everything is worse.
They have to learn to put themselves to sleep at some point and today is the day to do it. Best for all involved. You are being manipulated and teaching them to manipulate. Do not go there.

You shoud not have to fight with a 2 yr old. Let her take a nap for only a hr. Make her real tired during the day. But her in a day care a few hrs a wk. Don't let her sleep when she gets in the car. If she does. When she gets home do not lay her down. Keep her up. She' not burning up enought energy. It will work.

My 2-year old (almost 3) goes to bed at 7:30pm, we start teeth-brushing, potty, books at 7:15pm; in the morning he wakes up about 7am. He goes down for a nap about 1pm and will sleep 2 hours still. I'm lucky! I also am a big fan of pretty dark bedrooms (help at naptime and bright mornings!)

It is a tough age. my little one will be 3 in a few weeks. he normally goes down at 8:30, sometimes later like 9 on the weekend since he is an early riser. He doesn't really give me much struggle for bedtime anymore since older brother who is 9 is in bed between 8:30 and 9 also on school nights. so there is alot of "R is going night night too." Sometimes we read a book, other nights he wants a song. Ever since he was put into his own crib he has listened to a lullaby CD at bedtime and that has always seemed to soothe him and make bedtime easy. He is up by 6:30-6:45 daily since I have to leave for work before 7, and I believe his daily nap is anywhere between 45 mins-1 1/2 hours at school.

My son is not quite 2 but he naps around 12:30-2:30 and is sleeping by 7:30. Wakes up around 6:30 am.

I know how the routine can get sort of long as they have more demands and thought on the process :p Just hold your ground when you tell her "we are going to sing ONE song" etc.

My 2 yr old daughter naps from 2-4pm, and is in bed by 7pm, and usually up between 6:30-7:00am.

Our son goes to bed at 8pm, and take a 2 hour nap each day.

He eats dinner at 5:30 or 6pm
Then at 7pm we tell him it's bath time, and for about a half hour he gets to play and wash up, and splash around.

Then at 7:40 or so it's a small cup of warm milk to drink and we read him a story.
Then when we are done, which is usually around 8pm we tell him "Okay all done, bed time now" and he grabs his blanket and walks to his room, and we put him down in his crib and we say goodnight, hugs and kisses, and then we walk out and shut the door.

Sometimes he is quiet and goes right to sleep, and sometimes he talks quietly to himself and entertains himself until he feels ready to sleep. But he does it alone, and then hubby and I relax.

When the kids were 2 they laid down for nap around noon and slept until 2:30-3pm. I never woke them up. If they were sleeping they needed the nap. They always went down around 9. It's always been their bedtime. Even as infants they would take a late afternoon nap then wake up for dinner. After the evening they would fall asleep almost right at 9pm every night.

I figured why fight with them over sleep. Whey they are tired they go to sleep.