My DD turns two in a week and we've hit a terrible change in her behavior. I don't know what to do. I can't get her to take her naps and when I put her down she just screams at the top of her lungs. Nothing has happened to make her scared of naps so I'm not sure why she's screaming frantically. This just started 3 days ago. At bedtime she used to sit in her crib and talk to herself till she fell asleep and now she screams at bedtime too. I dont' know what to do. When she didn't go down very easy before I'd just hold her and rub her back till she relaxed and now it doesn't work. What do I do. It's frazzling my nerves. She's clearly tired at nap time because she's cranky and rubs her eyes. I know she still needs her naps. Why is she screaming?
Thanks for advice. It's hard to let a child cry. We always follow a really strict routine. So hopefully this phase will pass soon.
I found my kids were afraid they'd miss omething if they closed thier eyes. They fought sleep just to fight it. I agree that getting a routine in place is huge. Kids thrive on routine and predicatability. Give her choices - which pjs for your nap? WHich bunny for your nap? It also helps to lay them down before they get tired and start rubbing eyes. By that point you've missed your good child window and have moved into cranky over tired child.
Around 2 is when kids realize that they can make decisions. Playing with their toys or watching cartoons is so much more fun then taking a nap, or so they think. Start a routine so she knows what to expect. You can also tell her okay sweetie we will read a story, have some lunch, and then you will take your nap. This way she knows after lunch is naptime.
Same with bedtime at night. Dinner, bath, story, bedtime.
The more consistant you can keep her day the better things will go. Kids just like routine.
The holidays will throw off your routine but keep things as consistant as possible.
She may be overtired by the time you're putting her down for nap. I agree with Reverend Ruby that you should let her know ahead of time what to expect. I also agree that she is just fighting sleep because she doesn't want to miss anything. So my advice is to give her advance notice that nap time is approaching, lay her down and ignor her fits.
If these are her first and only tantrums, I'd wait it out a bit more. As in ignore it, don't give in, let her learn to self sooth. If she starts screaming at times OTHER than nap time, when you say "no" or to get her way for things, she's not too young for disciplining those more serious things. Most kids start screaming fits before 18 months, she sounds very easy going if this is her first screaming.
I agree with other who say that she's overtired. Try laying her down earlier by 15 minutes or a half an hour, and see if that helps. I was always very much about routine for naps and bedtimes for my two, but sleep schedules shift, and sometimes a strict routine no longer works and you have to adjust. What worked before no longer does now, so you have to add something new to your toolbox. And yes... as hard as it is to let a child cry, sometimes it takes that when all they need is sleep (especially at these older ages).... otherwise they don't learn to do it themselves and next thing you know you're rubbing her back for an hour every night. That will get tiring too...
Good luck!
She is screaming because she has found that screaming keeps her from falling asleep and she apparently doesn't want to sleep.
I can assure you just because a child should nap, needs a nap, doesn't mean they want to take a nap.
