I want to get DD on at least a set bedtime schedule.
She's nearly 2 and we've never done a schedule at all - she normally falls asleep anywhere from 9pm to 1am now, and it's killing both of us.
Any ideas? I'd like to get her in bed by 8:30, and asleep by 9-ish. We are also trying to as a family {meaning DD and I} pray nightly, and she loves watching them pray on EWTN, which normally calms her down. That comes on at 8:30 our time, so thats the reason for the idea time-wise.
routine. routine. routine. ours is bath, story, bed. every night. well, we do bath every other night, but they're used to the routine enough that the slight variation works. even when we're traveling (like right now) we stick to the routine as much as possible, and as close to the normal bedtime as possible, so it makes traveling a LOT easier
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wife to Joe
SAHM to Devonne Natalia and Alanna Irene, born 8/10/06
We've had our girls on a bedtime schedule for a long long time, I'd go crazy otherwise. And they sleep 12 hours a night, most nights (unless they are at mimi's and don't come home til 9pm.) When they are here they are in bed by 7:30pm NO EXCUSES. Stalling is the worst! Don't get sucked in! They get diaper changes, jammies, cuddles and then to sleep!
ITA with everyone and would only add that it would be most helpful to get her on a nap routine too. If she still naps. Having that around the same time everyday will help her to be ready for bed at the same time too.
with the naps. my girls have been on a nap/bed schedule since they were about 4 months old. i did it as soon as i noticed them starting to fall asleep around the same time every day...it showed me that they were ready for a schedule. if their naps get messed up, forget bedtime. most days, their nap is more important than when they go to bed...they're MUCH more flexible with bedtime than they are with their naps
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wife to Joe
SAHM to Devonne Natalia and Alanna Irene, born 8/10/06
If she sleeps late it could be all over too, especially if she naps as well.
Kyan wakes up anywhere from 8:30-9:30 now and he usually doesn't take a nap unless it's a short one like 45 minutes. Sometimes if he's at my Mom's and he goes swimming and is out in the yard running around or helping her feed the deer then he'll get wore down enough to take an hour - hour and half nap but that usually means we're up until 11:30 fighting each other.
I've been letting him just not nap, eventhough it kills me to not have that free time in the day, and then he usually makes a bed on the floor in the living room, we read a few books, cuddle together and then he goes to sleep on his own or he settles down enough that I rock him.
But we always bath, he gets powdered or lotioned or whatever, brush teeth/eat a snack, get one last diaper change, and then we read a few books and settle down. If he doesn't do a settling down then he's too wired or too fussy and it's a battle.
When the girls sleep in and get up at 8:30, we push nap til 1:30. They will usually nap an hour-two hours and are ready for bed by 8:30, sometimes sooner.
Usually nap is between 11:30-1:00pm depending on when they woke up and how much sleep they got the night before.
Sandy single mama to Trinity 
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