Toddler advice thread

[JulesC]

are you a fellow scouser @JulesC

i find I’m using my air fryer more lately for quick tea’s it’s easier and quicker than the oven

I’d search slow cooker and air fryer on tiktok there’s thousands of recipes on there

I am! Think I’m the only scouser on Tattle who’s not on the Katie Hayes thread but occasionally post on Jeff’s 🫣

Never tried an air fryer - Marcus Mitchell who brought me to Tattle air fries cheese covered in crisps but I’m guessing there are healthier recipes I’m quite new to tik tok so will have a mooch - thanks!

 

[BettyCrockerr]

My partner does help but if I’m on the house, she won’t go to sleep for him! So he’ll get up and sit with her but he has to wake me up to actually get her back to sleep. I haven’t got pregnant again (another story) so we’ve not had to force the issue. Problem is I will always wake up if she cries in the night whereas he can sleep through so I’m disturbed whatever.

She does have a nap still, one hour around lunchtime. We’ve tried to keep her awake on weekends and things but she can’t quite get through the day without a nap yet and she does seem to sleep better at night if she has her nap.

What time does she go to bed at night? Try keeping her awake during the day but bring bedtime forward by an hour. If she wakes in the night, can you take her in with you? Not ideal but it’s better than battling with her to get her back to sleep. If she wakes up, and your partner gets up for her, would she settle to sleep if he popped her in with you?

 

[honey&lemon]

What time does she go to bed at night? Try keeping her awake during the day but bring bedtime forward by an hour. If she wakes in the night, can you take her in with you? Not ideal but it’s better than battling with her to get her back to sleep. If she wakes up, and your partner gets up for her, would she settle to sleep if he popped her in with you?

I agree about trying to drop the nap. Our toddler stopped them altogether at 2. Very young I know but she just wouldn’t sleep until 9/10pm even if she had a 30 min sleep. Agree about bringing the bedtime forward a bit until they adjust, even if it’s 5.30pm! She’ll soon adjust to it and be able to stretch out a bit longer. It does mean the time after work can be stressful as they’re very tired but you get your evening back

Check out boredoflunch on Instagram, he’s brilliant!

 

[JulesC]

What time does she go to bed at night? Try keeping her awake during the day but bring bedtime forward by an hour. If she wakes in the night, can you take her in with you? Not ideal but it’s better than battling with her to get her back to sleep. If she wakes up, and your partner gets up for her, would she settle to sleep if he popped her in with you?

She does go to bed late, somewhere between 8 and 9. I wouldn’t mind bringing her into our bed but she just won’t settle there. I posted a while back on here as I still rock her to sleep (I really think I’ve made a rod for my own back ).

You’re right though @honey&lemon getting our evenings back would be nice. She tends to get tired around 4-5pm if she doesn’t have a nap. On the odd occasion it’s happened and I’ve put her down early, she’s treated it like a nap so then been awake for a few hours from 7/8pm. She’s been a nightmare sleepwise, I’d like her to have a sibling but we’re both so shattered there’s not much chance of that

 

[Emsie]

She does go to bed late, somewhere between 8 and 9. I wouldn’t mind bringing her into our bed but she just won’t settle there. I posted a while back on here as I still rock her to sleep (I really think I’ve made a rod for my own back ).

You’re right though @honey&lemon getting our evenings back would be nice. She tends to get tired around 4-5pm if she doesn’t have a nap. On the odd occasion it’s happened and I’ve put her down early, she’s treated it like a nap so then been awake for a few hours from 7/8pm. She’s been a nightmare sleepwise, I’d like her to have a sibling but we’re both so shattered there’s not much chance of that

I rocked mine to sleep until he was 2, whatever gets them to sleep isn't a rod. To ease mine out of it I rocked until drowsy, put him down and patted his back or stroked his hair until he fell asleep and then gradually rocked for shorter times until it became just a cuddle, then started shortening the back tapping. It took about 6 months and it wasn't plain sailing every night... you could try that. One of the lights that shines stars around the room worked for my eldest he would just lie and look at it until he fell asleep. Don't beat yourself up about rocking to sleep though, it's fine if she needs it still x

 

[BettyCrockerr]

She does go to bed late, somewhere between 8 and 9. I wouldn’t mind bringing her into our bed but she just won’t settle there. I posted a while back on here as I still rock her to sleep (I really think I’ve made a rod for my own back ).

You’re right though @honey&lemon getting our evenings back would be nice. She tends to get tired around 4-5pm if she doesn’t have a nap. On the odd occasion it’s happened and I’ve put her down early, she’s treated it like a nap so then been awake for a few hours from 7/8pm. She’s been a nightmare sleepwise, I’d like her to have a sibling but we’re both so shattered there’s not much chance of that

Her bedtime is way to late. Drop her naps. Bath at 7pm and in bed by 8.

 

[jackieweaver’sauthority]

She does go to bed late, somewhere between 8 and 9. I wouldn’t mind bringing her into our bed but she just won’t settle there. I posted a while back on here as I still rock her to sleep (I really think I’ve made a rod for my own back ).

You’re right though @honey&lemon getting our evenings back would be nice. She tends to get tired around 4-5pm if she doesn’t have a nap. On the odd occasion it’s happened and I’ve put her down early, she’s treated it like a nap so then been awake for a few hours from 7/8pm. She’s been a nightmare sleepwise, I’d like her to have a sibling but we’re both so shattered there’s not much chance of that

My daughter now 2.5 dropped naps around 15 months. I never let her sleep before 6. It was a bit cruel some evenings but I had to push her through and then she slept better. She slept in my bed til January when we moved her to a double bed in her own room. I lie with her to sleep and then go in first wake up as I really cannot function without sleep.
I fed her to sleep until January and felt like I’d made a rod for my own back until she just decided she didn’t want to do that anymore, and was happy with a cuddle. We all do what we need to so please don’t think you’ve caused this!
I do think she is old enough to understand if you explain to her you can’t rock her anymore and if you try a new bed and big it up and get her excited you could start a new routine in it. Even if it’s just lying with her to begin with. She will be upset but give her lots of reassurance and push through it for a few nights and she will get there.

 

[Rlaw1978]

My daughter now 2.5 dropped naps around 15 months. I never let her sleep before 6. It was a bit cruel some evenings but I had to push her through and then she slept better. She slept in my bed til January when we moved her to a double bed in her own room. I lie with her to sleep and then go in first wake up as I really cannot function without sleep.
I fed her to sleep until January and felt like I’d made a rod for my own back until she just decided she didn’t want to do that anymore, and was happy with a cuddle. We all do what we need to so please don’t think you’ve caused this!
I do think she is old enough to understand if you explain to her you can’t rock her anymore and if you try a new bed and big it up and get her excited you could start a new routine in it. Even if it’s just lying with her to begin with. She will be upset but give her lots of reassurance and push through it for a few nights and she will get there.

Mine is 14 months and has dropped to just one nap at lunch time. He’s naturally now going to bed earlier 7 instead of 8 and waking up later. So is still getting the hours in.
I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one who feeds them to sleep and allows them to sleep in their bed. Everyone says to me ‘no no that’s really wrong’ but I do what I have to to get decent sleep. Even then he’s very wakeful in the nights. None of my others were like this, all sleeping through from 6-9 months.
He’s still very young so I’m continuing as long as he needs.

 

[jackieweaver’sauthority]

Mine is 14 months and has dropped to just one nap at lunch time. He’s naturally now going to bed earlier 7 instead of 8 and waking up later. So is still getting the hours in.
I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one who feeds them to sleep and allows them to sleep in their bed. Everyone says to me ‘no no that’s really wrong’ but I do what I have to to get decent sleep. Even then he’s very wakeful in the nights. None of my others were like this, all sleeping through from 6-9 months.
He’s still very young so I’m continuing as long as he needs.

You’re defo not the only one! If you don’t have a wakeful baby it’s easy to say what not to do but the reality is so different. Especially when you have more than one!
You’re right he is very young, and there’s no need to change anything unless you or your little one needs it to. Mine was still really wakeful until I stopped nightfeeding at 20 months. She’s still not the best sleeper, especially if she’s teething or unwell but much better compared to then.

 

[Definitelyme]

My kids all wake up until over age 3, or 4. I breastfeed at night until around 2, on demand, as anything for a quiet life it is really normal for older kids to continue to wake - as it is for adults as well.

 

[al255]

I agree about trying to drop the nap. Our toddler stopped them altogether at 2. Very young I know but she just wouldn’t sleep until 9/10pm even if she had a 30 min sleep. Agree about bringing the bedtime forward a bit until they adjust, even if it’s 5.30pm! She’ll soon adjust to it and be able to stretch out a bit longer. It does mean the time after work can be stressful as they’re very tired but you get your evening back

Check out boredoflunch on Instagram, he’s brilliant!

I’m jealous your then 2 year old dropped naps at 2. My daughter is 2.5 and still has 1.5 hours, I’ve noticed though any more than that bedtime is a nightmare! Half 2 is defo the wake up cut off point or else she’s up till half 8 bedtime is usually 8pm though. I wish it was 7. I feel like I get no evening!

Back to being jealous - naps are a pain for days out as she won’t sleep in the car or the pram for longer than 20 mins so got to plan life around her bloody naps if I don’t let her have a good nap it’s hell….

 

[Rlaw1978]

Mine was still really wakeful until I stopped nightfeeding at 20 months. She’s still not the best sleeper, especially if she’s teething or unwell but much better compared to then.

Can I ask how you stopped the night feeds? Did you just slowly reduce? I’ve been told they wake out of habit for feeds at this age, I don’t know how true that is. I suspect he just isn’t that tired, if we have a busier day he sleeps a little better.

 

[jackieweaver’sauthority]

Can I ask how you stopped the night feeds? Did you just slowly reduce? I’ve been told they wake out of habit for feeds at this age, I don’t know how true that is. I suspect he just isn’t that tired, if we have a busier day he sleeps a little better.

I followed Dr Jay Gordon’s method. It was ok, she was only really upset for 2 nights but I just gave her lots of cuddles and reassurance, validated her being upset. He says to wait til 18 months as they are capable of understanding then. I started cutting day feeds at 15 months and had stopped by 18 months. We read “Loving Comfort” and “Milkies when the sun shines” to prepare her. It took me 2 months to build up to stopping the night feeds as I was dreading it but she did really well. It was 5 nights in total then it clicked and she was fine without it. I did it during a rough patch where she’d be up for hours at night and it didn’t help with that. But once we got through that she would go 4 hours and now can be longer. I kept feeding to sleep though as she needed it. She decided to stop herself in January.

 

[Definitelyme]

Can I ask how you stopped the night feeds? Did you just slowly reduce? I’ve been told they wake out of habit for feeds at this age, I don’t know how true that is. I suspect he just isn’t that tired, if we have a busier day he sleeps a little better.

What age is your wee one? I stopped night feeds around 2 with each child, but it didn’t stop the waking.
I literally just said no more feeds, explained it beforehand and during the night it would just be cuddles. Usually 3 nights before it settles. Night 1 is hard, night 2 isn’t so bad and night 3 is usually fine then.

 

[watermelon sugar]

How long should a 2 year old nap for? My little boy naps for 1.5 hours still and sometimes takes ages to get up that sometimes it stretches to 2 hours. Is this too long? Tia

 

[al255]

How long should a 2 year old nap for? My little boy naps for 1.5 hours still and sometimes takes ages to get up that sometimes it stretches to 2 hours. Is this too long? Tia

My 2.5 year old (when she was closer to 2) had 3 hours a day, until she started waking at 5am and I capped it to 1 hour 45. I know some 2 year olds who don’t nap at all. Every child is different xx

 

[watermelon sugar]

My 2.5 year old (when she was closer to 2) had 3 hours a day, until she started waking at 5am and I capped it to 1 hour 45. I know some 2 year olds who don’t nap at all. Every child is different xx

thank you!
My little boy has started waking up between 5-5.45 and weren’t sure if it was the nap and having too much sleep that was making him wake so early x

 

[Kim Mild]

How long should a 2 year old nap for? My little boy naps for 1.5 hours still and sometimes takes ages to get up that sometimes it stretches to 2 hours. Is this too long? Tia

Do you think it's too long for your households day to day routine? The people on the Internet aren't the nap police.

My 2 year old would sleep for hours in the afternoon if they weren't disturbed.

 

[al255]

Do you think it's too long for your households day to day routine? The people on the Internet aren't the nap police.

My 2 year old would sleep for hours in the afternoon if they weren't disturbed.

My daughter would too she loves napping!

 

[watermelon sugar]

Do you think it's too long for your households day to day routine? The people on the Internet aren't the nap police.

What do you mean?