https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:07:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2091823 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:10:35 +0000 shellio 2091823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Yes, I am totally with you on giving snacks right before dinner vs he is a mess and won't eat anyway. </p> <p>Sounds like one goal should be for us to get dinner on the table earlier and avoid being grumpy due to hunger AND fatigue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2091245 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 12:03:42 +0000 jetsa 2091245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shellio: My LO is 17 months and the same way, and naps about the same hours, ours is related to dinner he needs to eat when we walk in the door at 5pm or its meltdown city. We've been trying to tide him over with a snack while I quickly throw together dinner but thats not a great solution because a snack at 5 is not great for a 5:30/6 dinner. So you aren't alone but I have no suggestions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2091144 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:18:08 +0000 travellingbee 2091144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2 year old is still grumpiest from 5-6. I think he's tired from the day (even though he takes a good nap) and is hungry. After dinner at six, he is back to his happy self. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2091001 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:15:52 +0000 ShootingStar 2091001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS has days like this sometimes and it's generally if he's tired or hungry. But if he gets over tired, or even over-hungry, he's just a mess. Won't eat and cries through all of dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090988 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:10:54 +0000 bushelandapeck 2090988@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS has consistently been the most difficult between 6-7pm (he goes to bed between 8/8:30). He has a hard time with transitions and this coincides with myself or DH getting home from work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090892 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 09:35:38 +0000 shellio 2090892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MapleMoose: @Cherrybee: Ugh, glad I'm not the only one but sorry you ladies have to deal with this too. Maybe we should push his nap slightly later. I just hope he grows out of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090659 Mon, 02 Mar 2015 04:37:02 +0000 Cherrybee 2090659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have the same issue. DD is continually overtired because her sleep is so bad. She starts the day in a great mood but by the time I pick her up at 5.30pm she's in meltdown mode. Sometimes she's in a great mood because she napped really well but on those days she will not go to sleep at bedtime! Its a bit of a nightmare, really. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090590 Sun, 01 Mar 2015 22:26:49 +0000 MapleMoose 2090590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 16 months and we still go through the witching hour most evenings. She's a terrible sleeper though so I know it's because she's so overtired from fighting her nap all day. Plus she's hungry for dinner and gets pretty hangry while I'm cooking. I try to ward off the tantrums with a well-timed afternoon snack but it doesn't always work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090573 Sun, 01 Mar 2015 22:14:52 +0000 shellio 2090573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: I've wondered about that but there are usually 1-2 evenings a week when I'm not home and he is the same, he acts this way on weekends too when I'm around. I can't think of any big changes... He unfortunately never liked nursing and I finally stopped around 9 mos because it was stressing me out so badly. I'm still upset about that.</p> <p>Actually I guess we did wean his morning and lunchtime bottles over the past 6-8 weeks but he honestly doesn't seem to care very much and is happy drinking from a cup, and gets about the same amount of milk. He is totally addicted to his night bottle that he gets before bed, though, and even though I want to stop doing that, it is the only thing that calms him down now. I have wondered if stopping the bottle would make it better because maybe wanting his bottle is contributing to this frustration? I don't think DH would go for that but I'll bring it up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090569 Sun, 01 Mar 2015 22:09:32 +0000 shellio 2090569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lady grey: I think that might contribute but two naps do not happen. He is home with my DH all day and was sleeping well for his morning nap but never slept for his afternoon naps, just played in bed the whole time, starting around 12 mos old. Then he was a real mess in the evenings. Now he goes down at 12-1230 and usually sleeps till 230. He seems to do fine in the stretch between waking and naptime and doesn't act exhausted at noon when we put him down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090566 Sun, 01 Mar 2015 22:07:57 +0000 Corduroy 2090566@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do remember LO was particularly awful after daycare pickup at 15 months. So much so that I refused to go home with her until DH got home for two weeks. We just walked in the stroller. For us it was related to weaning since she fought hard to not drop the post-daycare nursing session. Have you made any recent changes like that?</p> <p>Are you home all day on the weekends with LO? How is his behavior different then? Often my LO just amps things up for me. I hear from both sets of grandparents, DH, and daycare that she is so sweet when I'm not around. It isn't dependent on time of day though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090561 Sun, 01 Mar 2015 22:02:34 +0000 lady grey 2090561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds like he is super overtired. Is he in daycare? Any way to do two naps or get him to nap longer? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hour-for-toddler#post-2090556 Sun, 01 Mar 2015 21:51:36 +0000 shellio 2090556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS is 15 mos and is a complete disaster in the evenings. Tantrums, nonstop crying, hitting the dogs, screaming and crying, throwing food, did I mention that he won't stop crying? Is this normal witching hour behavior?? I thought that only applied to infants. He turns into a totally different person and it sucks. The worst part is that I usually get home around or just after 5 so this is the only time I get to spend with him and honestly I just don't like him very much right now. :( </p> <p>It doesn't seem to make a difference if he is more/less active during the day, eats a lot, eats a little, gets lots of attention (he has an older bro), short or long nap, etc. He goes to bed at 630-7, sleeps well overnight and wakes up pretty happy, takes one nap and is usually fine with that although he sometimes only sleeps 30-60 min. This seems to have gotten worse over the last month or so.</p> <p>Any advice? </p>