Bedtime

This is starting to get really silly now. Ds has always been really good at settling himself to sleep. Over the past few weeks though bedtime is just a nightmare
He messes about something rotten getting ready for bed and even starts hitting and kicking. It's not nice and calm like it used to be and even if it is he will be up and down like a yo yo messing about. Going into our room and taking things, in the bathroom playing or filling the sink up, at the top of the stairs calling for us every 5 mins...........the list is endless.
We only go up to him when he is in bed and he knows this but when he is in the bathroom we can't ignore it as he has almost flooded it before. We are all getting really stressed out about this now as it's just constant for at up to (sometimes over) an hour after he goes to bed. He's still at it now and it's been 1.15 hours.

We are so tempted to put a stairgate on his room again to stop him but I know that this is not going to be a long term thing. It won't solve the problem in the long run.

Any suggestions would be very welcome.

No advice I'm afraid hun, but just wanted to send lots of your way

What is he wanting when hes getting up and messing around? To play? Attention? I

I was just going to suggest the stairgate on the bedroom door but I guess if you don't want to do that I'm afraid I have no idea. Austin is pretty good and if he is going to mess about it tends to be before he is in bed. Hopefully he is just testing his boundaries and you will get your peaceful bedtime back soon.

No advice I'm afraid hun, but just wanted to send lots of your way

thank you

What is he wanting when hes getting up and messing around? To play? Attention? I

He wants a drink, the crocodiles/monsters/spooky castles/anything else he can think of gone from his room (we chuck them all out before we leave), to play around in the bathroom, a wee/poo, to tell us about stuff. There's more but I can't think right now. I think it's mostly attention tbh.
He usually has a story before bed. He has a nice relaxing routine but for some reason he just goes a bit lolopy at bedtime atm


Thanks Lisa, i'm hoping we don't have to resort to it but we'll see! I'm hoping we get our nice peaceful bedtimes back soo too

What does he do if you spend extra time in his bedroom at night, after you have done the usual routine if you sit down and talk with him whilst hes in bed does he keep jumping around or will he sit quietly. Have you asked him what he would like to do/change about bedtime to help him go to sleep more easily?

Tbh we've never spent extra time in his bedroom at night as he has always just looked at another book in bed then gone to sleep (this is payback isn't it? ). Maybe i'll start doing that and talk to him about his day again, might help. If he bounces around i'll re-think. I'll also ask him what he'd like to happen about bedtime, i've not thought of doing that! We've been doing the same routine for a loing time now, maybe it needs tweaking/changing. Thank you

This was our method for preventing a flooded bathroom. it was great when he was using a potty, bit of a pita though when it came to using the big loo.

I was thinking of doing just that earlier! Going to mention it to dp in a bit. Wouldn't be a problem with the toilet as ours is seperate