Do you struggle to get your child to bed at night? We sure did with our daughter. She would refuse to go to sleep in her bed and wanted to hang out with us until we were ready for bed and of course then she would want to sleep in Mama's and Daddy's bed.
That all changed when we finally sat down and established a bedtime routine. It helped our daughter establish healthy sleeping habits and got us back into ours. On top of it, we now have a little time to ourselves at night.
Maybe you have heard on TV or read in a parenting magazine that your child needs a bedtime routine. Or you are just plain tired of having to run to her room 20 times before she finally dozes off. For whatever reason you decided it's time to start setting up a bedtime routine. Where do you go from here? Obviously you are not going to change your child's habits from one day to the next. Consistency is going to be key, which is why we started by drawing up a basic little plan.
Take out a pen and a piece of paper and jot down the following:
How much sleep does your child need
What time does he/ she need to get up in the morning
What are his/her favorite calm activities (reading a book, taking a bath, cuddling with you, talking about your day, going for a stroll through the yard, putting on pj's)
From this list, come up with an action plan. Figure out when you need to put your child to bed to make sure she gets enough sleep. This will be your final goal. What time does she go to bed now? Plan on moving her bedtime back about 30 minutes every few days to give her some time to adjust in between.
Pick a few of her favorite calm activities and spend about 30 to 40 minutes on those while also getting her in her pj's, teeth brushed and off to bed.
Expect some initial resistance to the new routine. Kids can be pretty creative when it comes to excuses why they can't possibly go to sleep just yet. My little sister once insisted that her doll just had to blow her nose. Try to anticipate those excuses and last minute requests and make them part of the bedtime routine. If you know your child is going to ask for a sip of water, keep a glass on her night table. Make other requests part of your bedtime routine. If she usually asks to say goodnight to the family pet, have her do that before you put her in her PJ's and tuck her in.
Another good tip is to give her choices in the routine. It is usually best to limit those choices to 2 or 3. Ask her if she would like to take a bath or a shower, if she wants Mom or Dad to tuck her in, if she wants you to read "Goodnight Moon" or "The hungry little caterpillar". Let her pick the red or yellow pj's. Only give her options that you can live with. That way you both win. She feels like she is having some control over her life and you get her to do what needs done.
Above all stay calm and patient. Getting to sleep is a hard task to master for a child. She needs your help to establish healthy sleeping patters. If she keeps getting up for the next few nights, put her gently but firmly back to bed and tell her that it is time to sleep. Offer to come back and check on her in a few minutes and follow through. It will make her feel more secure and chances are she'll be sound asleep by the time you walk back in there.
Susanne Myers is the founder of http://www.kinderinfo.com, the one-stop online children's resource center. Here you will find all kinds of answers to help you with your family, including information on child care options and locations, educational resources, sports and recreation, home-based activities, party and event planning, even quick and easy recipes. We seek to answer all kid-related questions!
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..When I was pregnant, we knew that we had some... Read More
The big yellow school bus is coming down my road... Read More
"Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in... Read More
Is your baby approaching his or her first birthday and... Read More
When a parent is deployed with the military it can... Read More
Home-schooling provides children with a superior education. Parents can quickly... Read More
Advocate: you've probably heard the term before. But what does... Read More
There are millions of young children in this country who... Read More
What exactly makes safety glasses different from regular glasses? There... Read More
Several similar terms describe the central attribute of a character... Read More
If there are any parents reading this who are thinking... Read More
What parent hasn't gone into a son's or daughter's room... Read More
Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite... Read More
The following spelling games can be used by parents to... Read More
Often I will hear parents say, "I just ignore Jr.... Read More
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon... Read More
John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.comParents ? Minimize Homework Hassles?It's... Read More
Teri was 5. As younger siblings do, she looked up... Read More
Dads, please let me encourage you to change some things... Read More
There is a new stage of development for parents to... Read More
How are parents to know they are doing the right... Read More
Q. I don't like my children spending so much time... Read More
It happens every year. Just when you are settled in... Read More
In "The Ring Bear," a picture book by Tigard resident... Read More
Best friends! It may seem impossible to believe, but today's... Read More
emergency cleaning services Morton Grove ..What's in a name? Er?well, everything, really! Of course your... Read More
Although many parents are concerned with our children's intelligence quotient... Read More
If your child is to derive the benefits of physical... Read More
Is it possible to be using our children addictively?Anything that... Read More
Start some gardening traditions with your kids. Give them their... Read More
Does your child pout, blame and brood? Does he gripe,... Read More
Q. Things have been relatively calm and OK with our... Read More
Because most teens have not had the experience of getting... Read More
Advocate: you've probably heard the term before. But what does... Read More
At first I thought of titling this article "The Lazy... Read More
From criticizing a spouse, to claming up about one's own... Read More
Last night Tom's daughter, Sue, came out of her room... Read More
Sometimes a change of perspective can make a huge difference... Read More
It is human nature to feel competitive and envious toward... Read More
Elana, born in Russia, was told "We really don't know... Read More
We need a grass roots campaign targeted towards parents to... Read More
Why are more people, especially parents not outraged?I call it... Read More
Every now and then I'll get a story sent to... Read More
As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More
Q. We just got our daughter's progress report, and it... Read More
Think back to your own childhood. Chances are, some of... Read More
I WAS AMAZEDI could hardly believe what I was hearing.... Read More
The debate in many towns continues throughout this country about... Read More
Our children are our most important legacy to the world.... Read More
She slipped her small, soft eight-year-old hand into mine. Her... Read More
Parenting |