After Bath Blues...help changing routine

[marispel]

DS is almost 20 months old and we've always had a consistent bathtime routine. Bath is at 7:30, lotion, jammies, bottle & bed.

The last couple months have gotten harder and harder. First, getting out of the FUN bath is a challenge. We've tried "transitions" where we tell him bathtime is almost over..say bye to the water. We tell the water bye and the water leaves, but then he starts pitching a fit...arching his back and crying. We get him calmed down until we get to the changing table and then the kicking and the flipping starts. We try distractions, songs, even time-out for a minute, but he is still a nightmare.

He eats a good dinner from 6:00-6:30 and then we have playtime. Tonight was building with blocks and coloring. That all goes well. We go upstairs for bathtime around 7:15 with a bit more playing (looking at books, coloring, etc). Bath always goes well but everything after that is down hill.

We tried to incorporate a book or two after he gets in his jammies, that worked for a few nights but now he is pitching a fit for his bottle.

I just don't know what to do - he is a crazy little guy after bath and we've got to do something different to make this better. We may try an earlier bath time, but we've done that before and he is just still too awake and jumps in his crib for 30-45 minutes. I don't know. I would love to take away the bottle, but there is no way that is going to happen right now.

What is your routine like? Any suggestions or is this just "a phase"?

[mbm]

DD went through a crazy post-bath phase too. We started having the room already dark, with only a hallway light and the light-up ladybug projecting the stars onto the ceiling, before DD came in after the bath. It is relaxing, and really helps keep her from going bananas at that time.

We will sing songs or tell a story while she gets PJs on. It's always one of the same 2-3 stories before bed (the ones I can remember!), so she knows that that story really is The Bedtime Story.

[Baby_Cakes]

How long do you let him play in the tub?
We leave DD in there as long as she likes. Sometimes as long as 45 min! Once she's clean she is free to play. DH or I just sit in the bathroom w/her, sometimes interacting, but mostly just supervising, and let her play w/her toys. Maybe he just wants more time to play?
Otherwise, I vote phase. Give it more time. He just loves the bath and doesn't want it to end, and doesn't know that he's going to have another chance tomorrow.

[katybeth]

If bath time is bright and loud, it may not be signaling to your son that it's supposed to make him sleepy. Our bedtime routine gets progressively dimmer and quieter, and we usually allow about an hour for the whole thing. We actually installed a dimmer switch in the bathroom when my son was a toddler, and while we do have a long and leisurely bath with plenty of playtime, we try to encourage mellow play and we keep the light relatively low. Warm bath leads to warm pajamas, which leads to warm cuddle/story/lullaby time for up to thirty minutes by the light of a not-too-bright lamp, followed by nursing in the dark, then sleep.

Also, if your schedule allows it, you may want to try adjusting his bedtime later (or earlier--depending on his sleepy cues) and see if that helps. Natural bedtimes can change as toddlers transition from two naps to one, and the recent time change probably didn't help either.