Help me move my DD's bedtime!

[MariesMama]

Let me start by saying that we have always been (too) flexible with DD's bedtime. She usually goes down around 9 or 10, and sleeps through the night until 8 or 9, with a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon. Due to recent events, however, she's been going to bed around 11 or 12! How can I move her bedtime to a more reasonable hour? I've tried eliminating a nap during the day, but it doesn't seem to affect her to the point where she'll go to bed earlier.

Today we are going canoeing, so I'm hoping to wear her out and into bed at a decent hour.

Anyone had an experience like this?

[Shanny2032]

I realized that I was really doing my daughter a disservice by letting her stay up so late. You may have more flexibilty in your mornings than I do so that may help but I have to go to work and my daughter has to come with me so sleeping late is never an option. I just made the commitment to do it. I allot for the fact that I know it takes her a long time to fall asleep so we start around 7:30 so she is asleep by 8:30 at the latest. I think any habit can be changed you just need to stick with it. I moved her nap a little earlier and they got shorter just because she is getting older but today she napped later and longer than she has been in the last couple of weeks and she was still asleep at 8:20 - yay! So she was up at 7, napped from about 2-4:15 and was asleep at 8:20 (we started around 7:30). It has been a gradual progression and I have had to stick with it versus just "letting her wear herself out more" and then putting her to sleep exhausted at 10 pm. Her body is now knowing that is bedtime so she is not fighting it like initially. We are all happier and better rested so it has been worth some little battles.