Hi KJ,
We had lots of trouble getting our now 2 1/2 year old to bed between 18 and 24 months. We tried lots of gentle methods, but they wouldn't work. She was terriefied of havign the door closed, therefore letting her cry it out that way did not work. So we took our pediatricians advice, to put a babygate up, or better two on top of each other to keep her int he room. The key was to let her play and fuss and cry till she fell asleep. Ove rthe course of the week she started to fall asleep earlier every night. She might have slept on the big bed instead of her toddler bed, or on the fllo, but eventually it all was over and she slept in her bed again. They key was not to intervene, since intervening just make sit worse. They know you will come if they just fuss long enough and then everything is ruined. We also added a little night light, she liked it better witht he light in her room.
Also, for both my daughters it has always helped to have a bed time routine, that we stick to. For the older one at 2 1/2, it is 15 minutes or so of TV (I know not great, but it relly calms her down, kids freindly stuff on DVD of course). then we go up and brush teeth, then we go in her room and sit on her potty. In the half dark on her potty we read a book or two if she was good. Then we go to her bed, where she is tucked in the same way every night. First pillow starightened, then Maja inwith her plush toy she loves to take to bed, then the blanket over and folded, then a kiss on the one cheeck, a kiss onthe other cheel and a hug. And I realized, when we had days we were stressed or had no time and tried to cut down onthe bedtime routine, then we had trouble gettign her to bed. It is very lengthy with two kids, but we share the kids or the nights, my husband and I.
T..