Making Toddler Bedtime a Little Easier

I have found that there is no feeling in the world that is worse than walking away from your child when they are crying. Most recently, this situation has started to occur at bedtime in our household. We have entered into a stage where bedtime has become a battle.

About a week ago, however, I had a stroke of brilliance. Our son had been invited and attended several parties recently. We decided to use that idea to make the bedtime woes a little less. Bedtime has essentially became a production.

We have told our son that his crib is "his little house" and that each night he gets to have a party at "his little house". We spend a few minutes deciding who to invite (choosing from his collection of stuffed animals) and then spend a few minutes arranging them into their places.

Once this is done, our son makes his entrance and entertains his friends. He doesn't always lay down immediately. Sometimes he will set and play for a few minutes, but when we've gone in to check on him 30 minutes later he's always fast asleep. It's become a fantastic tearfree bedtime ritual.