It's difficult for everyone when a child is fighting sleep. Everyone is tired, which makes it hard to be patient (for parents) or obedient (for children). Parents are desperate for even a few minutes of quiet, private, intimate time, and that time is quickly evaporating as the child keeps bouncing around.
Recognize that alarm clocks and strict scheduling of life are not natural, and are particularly difficult for children to adapt to. (And for adults, too; how many of us love the snooze button?) Our ancestors usually slept until they were done sleeping, instead of letting a machine tell them when to wake up.
Can you adjust your mornings to let people sleep as long as they want? Most people can't, but if you can...
It's great that you have a rich bedtime routine. This ritual helps a child know what's going on. The world is a complex place, and a familiar routine can be reassuring. This will work greatly to your favor when your child decides to go along with your plan. And that will happen; this trouble will pass in time.
Children aren't born knowing how to go to sleep. Falling asleep comes naturally, but putting yourself to sleep is a skill. I teach my children the "three C's of going to sleep":
- calm - no rolling around and squirming
- quiet - no talking, singing, clapping, or kicking the wall
- comfortable - no standing, or holding a foot in the air, or sitting on a chair
(The 'q' is a joke that they can laugh at when they're older.)
I've noticed that when a tired child does all 3 of these, they fall asleep very quickly. So teaching this lets them know what to do, and helps them recognize what they're doing that is preventing sleep.
Third, when I restless kid in the evening, I find it usually helps to snuggle up with the
child. Kids love snuggles, so this is attractive to them, and gives them a reason to stay in bed. If a child continues to fight sleep, I am right there to remind them "calm, quiet, and comfortable." Having taught them the "three C's", that works better than "stop hitting yourself; stop whistling; stop kicking the covers off."
Remember to take it easy on yourself. You will get through this. Good luck.