I'm a mean mama lol..but my advice would be not to entertain his acting out..put him in the bed, tell him it's time to go to sleep and leave him there. If he gets up..take him back to bed and leave him there...I learned with DS at around that same age is that the more I interacted with him the worse he got. So one night I nipped it in the bud..and he tried me for sure..he got out of bed probably 20 times that first night but I never said a word to him and although I was frustrated I didn't let him see it..I just kept taking him back and putting him in the bed and he finally fell asleep and slept all night. The next night it was a little better and by night 3 he didn't even try it and I've not had one bit of trouble with him since then (will be 6 next week). At this point all I have to do is tell him it's bedtime and he goes and does his bathroom routine and goes to bed on his own. He is allowed to read a book for a while, or on the weekends we let him play his DSi for about half an hour and then it's lights out.
DD is 2 and still in her crib (with a crib tent) but from the get go with her I've always stuck to her routine and put her to bed awake. With her though she LOVES her bed..she literally comes and gets me when it's naptime and bedtime..that's how into her routine she is lol I'm sure when we move her to a toddler bed we'll have an adjustment period but I plan on sticking to my guns with her too.
I'm serious about bedtime
