2-Yr Old Going to Sleep Issues

I agree with all the Moms who advise you to remain constant in your expectations and to flex his sleeping schedual if you see the need. I simply want to add that your children will randomly pick times and events to challenge the exsisting rules on a regular basis. Each time I would suggest the same strategy. Stay firm on rules that do not change and flex with the ones that can and should change as each child gets older. It is simply the way children grow.

Is it possibe he's starting to ourgrow his nap? Or perhaps you need to move the nap earlier so he's more tired at night? When my daughter was around three, she was happy to sleep an hour in the afternoon, and then fought bedtime for about the same length of time as she had napped. It was difficult to keep her awake through the afternoon (cranky!), but when we did, she started to go to sleep better at night. When she did fall asleep in the afternoon, even for 20 minutes, she ended up staying awake that extra 20 minutes at bedtime, even if we put her to bed at the same time.

There are a few things that might help here. First, I hate to say it, but some kids stop napping at around age 2. He might just not be very tired. You could try letting him stay up an extra 30 minutes if he does nap and see if he is more tired. Also, I have the same problem with my daughter waking up early, esp. in the summer when the sun comes up so early. I have not done this, but I know several people who have used dark curtains to block the morning sunlight from their kids' rooms. The kids definitely will sleep later that way.

My suggestion is only let him sleep for one hour at naptime and then wake him up and next since it is summer try taking him for a short 10-15 minute walk around the block before bedtime if possible (this works great for my active three year old), have him and your daughter explore play games, see who can run fast, who can hop and skip have them show you very physical activity like how high they can jump do stretches when you return home then give them baths and see if that helps.
I also suggest putting them to bed at different times till he gets back on track, still put him to bed at 7:30 but put your three year old to bed at 8 and see if that helps.
I know this is a lot of change but little ones routine to me never stays the same when they are that age and growing and changing the way they do, I feel like you always have to adjust "normal routine" from time to time and really wonder how other moms do it when they tell me they have the same routine for years with each child and it never varies and each child followed the exact routine as each child is born, that is something that is really difficult for me because my boys have totally diffrent personalities and behavior and I hardly do the same thing with the both of them and I'm always making tiny adjustments for summer routine, winter, spring, school starting, weekends, holidays, vacation. The best consistency we can give children is loving caring parents who can come up with a plan that best suits their child.

MAMALYN

Stick with it...if you give in to him or give up you will end up with a bigger fight which will probably start to involve your other child as well. My son who is now 12 went through this at about 2. He still needed a nap but then would not sleep go to sleep at night. You might try altering his schedule an earlier nap time or a little later bed time. I do not advice punishing him by taking things away that he gets comfort from that will only escalate the situation. When he climbs out you simply put him back. The first time tell him you love him and it is bedtime. The nest just it's bedtime then do not speak simply put him back in bed. He will eventually grow out of it most do if you follow thru.....Good Luck.