|
I'm thinking that perhaps her father might have the job of putting the child to bed, (at least for a while) since this is clearly so stressful for you, Grace. If the little one does have a manipulative streak then she can almost certainly sense your stress and play on it.
I sense, from your mentions of the lights as being "Daddy's idea" that you may not be entirely agreed on a strategy. Well, let him have a go, and take some weight off your shoulders.
I think that PieOPah has given some very useful advice.
Also, I think that you need to get your aims clear.
I personally would be inclined to tolerate the child is reading quietly in her bed, so long as she doesn't demand attention from everyone else. Perhaps she just gets very bored on her own. Or, as Yvan suggests, she may only need a few hours' sleep.
If she reads herself to sleep is it such a big deal? It might be easier to impose a "go to bed and stay there" routine if she is allowed to read quietly.
Obviously, you should make sure that the child has no cola or caffeinated drinks after about 4pm. You might also want to put all toys away and turn the television off, so that it is boring downstairs. This would help encourage her to climb the wooden hill to her room, where she can at least read quietly for an hour.
A neighbour's child used to be rather hyper after foods and drinks with some additives, especially food colourings. For some reason, a bag of those corn-based snacks, or potato chips would invariably lead to hours of hyperactivity. This might be worth researching.
Good luck.
|