Why Is My 30 Month Old Suddenly Waking at 5:30 in the Morning?

because she's 2, and 2 year olds don't stay the same forever.
parenting toddlers requires being flexible enough to keep up with their ever-changing needs and 'schedules.'
once they're past a year it's time to start discussing their ages in years, not months.
it'll be easier on everyone if you make the small tweak to starting your day half an hour earlier. or let her play in her crib for a little while. you've been yoinking her all over the place for a small issue that's only been around for a week. you're probably just making things worse.
khairete
S.

She's just a little early for Daylight Savings time.
When we Spring Ahead on Mar 13, you'll be back in sync again.
If she's in between growth spurts she might need a little less sleep for right now.

I wouldn't mess with the routine either, as someone said below. That wreaks havoc on your life and she just doesn't adapt. You can't subtract an hour here and add it on there - kids' bodies don't work like that, unfortunately.

It's getting brighter earlier, and the birds are starting to chirp around 4:30-5 AM. She may be hearing that. Can you use a room-darkening shade? I picked up a remnant at the fabric store, some kind of Naugahide-type fake leather - totally light-proof. I stuck a few drapery hooks in it (fabric is too tough to rip) and clipped them over the curtain rod. We used to take this with us when we traveled too.

Maybe a white noise machine to block out sounds?

Otherwise, just wait it out. Daylight saving time is near and things change up again. I think you just have to deal with it and go to bed an hour earlier yourself. Whatever you normally do at night (fold laundry, unload the dishwasher...) you just do at 6 AM.

I would not switch her routine up just because she's waking up A LITTLE early. She still a baby. If I were in this situation, I'd stress about more important things. Let this one go. Maybe its getting brighter in her room cuz the sunrises earlier? Birds and dogs more active outside?

Welcome to parenthood. Just as you thought you had a routine down it changes. A 30 minute change is not that much. Just get up and start your day and take a nap when she takes a nap. You will both benefit from the sleep during the day.

Change up your routine a bit and be flexible as not everyday is the same.

Make a schedule of what needs to be done and break it down into manageable pieces and do them in the am and pm. That way the house stays in order and you have time for yourself.

My kids were up by 5:30 every morning and I just got use to getting up with them and doing things and taking the nap when they did. We did go to the park in the afternoon for air, sunshine and exercise. Hubby would stop by the park and bring us all back home when he got off from work. Our bedtime was around 8:30 for the older and 7:30 for the younger.

the other S.

You have a 2 1/2 year old daughter. She is a toddler not a baby. She is growing and her sleep patterns will change. Our daughter was this way as well. I tried everything to get her to sleep later than 5:00 a.m. but nothing worked. She was just ready to go and that was all there was to it. =(

Stay with her normal routine and just nap when she does because trust me, just when you think you have the parenting thing all figured out, yep here comes the curve ball!!!

is she hungry when she wakes? she could be going thru a growth spurt and waking because of hunger and then seeing its daytime wanting to stay up and play
also it would take several days of a change in routine to know if that was the solution so if you have tried all those things in the same week its no wonder nothing worked, it takes time to change sleeping patterns, it does not happen overnight.

She needs her nap. Let her keep it as long as possible. A 2 year old and even a 3 year old need their nap.

If you decide to do pre-school next fall or pre-K in a couple of years she'll have to lay down to take a nap. Keep the naps as long as possible.

I'd let her stay up until she falls asleep a few nights or maybe even a week or two to see if it effects her morning sleep. She's also old enough to know when Mr. Sunshine wakes up and it's time to get out of bed. You do need to make sure your house is child proof, even the bathroom doors where she can't open them. This way if she does wander around before waking you up she won't get hurt.