Keep It Simple Sweetie, for an
Easy, Fun and Fast Bedtime Routine (E.F.F. Bedtime - hahaha!)
#BedtimeRoutine #Children #Parenting
Okay, I'm writing this because Jimmy Kimmel was asking one of his guests, Danny McBride, who use to be a teacher, if he had any Bedtime Tricks, so Jimmy Kimmel and his lovely wife, Molly, could have an easier time putting their cute little girl, Jane, to bed - which can sometimes become even more important, when a new baby comes along - or, you just want to shorten up that crazy Bedtime Routine, so you can stay nice and sane, for your child's whole life - lol!
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So here's the thing - Parents have been sold a Bill of Goods on the whole Bedtime Routine, over the years - and, frankly, it's pretty recent, this whole extended Bedtime Routine thing, so maybe it stems from parents feeling guilty about adhering to every little thing they have been told they have to do...Well, I'm here to let you off the hook - let's make Bedtime Easy, Fun and Fast (so parents don't have to mutter E.F.F. Bedtime, under their breathes, any more - bah'hahahaha!)
First, give yourself permission to do things your own way.... and your time is important, too.... you are not doing a disservice to your child, if you figure out a Fast and Easy Way to Get the Kids Down! lol!
Tough time getting your kid to bed? lol!
Let's start with what we're gonna eliminate, right off the start -
The Bedtime Story - Nope. Not any more.
The Bedtime Story is just a construct - just some notion someone might have come up with to sell more Children's Books (which I love), and then somehow ended up making parents feel awful if they didn't read their kid a Bedtime Story, every night, ad nauseum (because now you're sick of that same story, or part of the story, if you child has a favorite part, and wants that part read over,and over, and over... anyway, you get the point, especially if you've been there... and often, the only one who gets tired reading the Bedtime Story is you - lol! Oh, Irony, you' so crazy! lol!)
Chose another time to read with your children - the bath is a fun place to read, since they'll get in the bath for a story ...
Sing your Bedtime Songs (Goodnight Sweetheart...) on your WAY to bed : ) You can sing nice little bedtime songs, of course, it's so sweet, but be aware, if your child wants one more, one more, come on, just one more - then, just change up your routine, because, you're in charge - lol!
And here's a quick tip for a bath, if you have a child who really needs to 'drain some energy' in order to fall asleep - any child, but this is very effective if you have a child with Special Needs (I'm a Special Education Teacher, and am an Education Specialist, but, mostly, I'm a parent, so, that counts more than anything - a childhood expert with no kids - haha! That makes me laugh, a little bit, since, well, you add Love and Guilt to that mix, and now you've got your very OWN Bedtime Story - haha!)
Bath Time Trick - After your child's bath, let your child lay in the bath while the water drains out - it will literally help 'drain the energy' from your child - this will make it much easier to get your child into bed, and fast asleep - and clean! Yahoo, your kid is clean! And asleep!! : )
Set a Reasonable Bed Time - Not Too Early, Not Too Late, and discuss it with your child - is a good time to teach them how to read the clock, how to tell time, and how to manage their time.
So, let's say you want to put your kid to bed at 8:00 pm, 8:30 pm, or 9:00 pm... those are all reasonable time to put your child to bed. Sometimes putting them to bed at 7:00 pm, an old fashioned time frame, but one that a lot of parents still adhere to, can be just a little too early, especially when it looks like the middle of the afternoon...when it's light out 'til after 10:00 pm....
But if you have to get out the door really early, and your child is going to leave early, with you, then, earlier bedtime it is! Do whatever works for you and your family - you know best! : )
So, Invest in a Pair of Heavy Curtains, Room Darkening Curtains or Drapes (same thing, different word - lol!), they'll block the light darken your child's room, it will make it that much easier to 'convince' your child that it really is bed time, and time for them to go to sleep.
Most kids don't want to miss out on anything exciting, and that can be anything that might happen if they are crazy enough to close their eyes....
So, since my daughter was really little, I would put her to bed, and say, I'm just going to go down and have a cup of tea, which she clearly thought, even at a very tiny age, that must not be very exciting, could potentially be super boring, soooo... no point in wanting to join me - haha!
But conjure up whatever story seems super dull to your child - I'm just going to go and do the laundry, do the dishes, something mundane your child doesn't want to participate in, so, if your kid loves to vacuum (some of them do! lol!), don't suggest you might do some 'fun' vacuuming...
Keep It Dull (K.I.D.! haha!) Oh, these acronyms write, themselves! lol!
Give your child a Heads Up that it's almost time for bed - that's only reasonable - you don't have to 'spring it on the kid', since they don't really have any concept of time, and it might come as a giant surprise, each and every time you announce that it's time for bed - haha!
Kids, you gotta love 'em (yes, you gotta Love Them - haha! Good to remember, when the betime routine gets too crazy...)
You can have a pre-bedtime routine, if you like, where you all have a little snack, maybe watch a show, together, read in the living room, but something simple, and keep it light and easy, for everyone... tickle fights right before bed - not such a great idea - unless they're spontaneous, then, okay, just this once... ; )
So now for the Bed Time! Finally!
Bathroom, Water, Bed. Binky? Whatever your child wants to sleep with - Aidan used to like sleeping with a plastic hammer - we're in construction - hahaha! But make sure that favorite bedtime toy is handy : )
Obvs, head into the bathroom, do their little bathroom routine in there, you might want to change into jammies after the bathroom routine, since, now their favorite jammies are wet from brushing their teeth and whatnot.. so, maybe jammies are the last thing and maybe move things around so the brushing of the teeth is easier, too... squish it in with bathtime, if that works for you : )
Have your child jump into bed, and we have a little trick where your child is in bed, and you lift up the whole comforter, if it isn't too big, or a blanket, if the comforter is too big to easily handle, and you let the blanket gently fall over your child - kids loooove this! It's fun, and it signals it's time to sleep...
Tuck your child in the way they like it - some kids love to be completely snug in a rug, and others need more space, you know your own child, do whatever it is that makes them comfy, and ready to fall asleep...
Sit on the bed next to them, or lay down, depending on how big or little they are - and, frankly, you can use this technique for all ages... it works, it's easy, and it's super fast - you're in, you're out, they're fast asleep, now you get to go have an adult life - yahoo! And you're still sane!!
Have a wee chat, keep it light, you can tell them how great they were, today, and have them say how great they were, today - any tiny thing that went well, this is the time to say it, Be Positive, and have your child say something positive about themselves, too - it's important to be able to say this out loud : )
Have them say their prayers, or repeat a nice mantra, whatever works for your family...
Tell them how much you love them, say the words, I Love You (it works wonders!), and give them a hug and a kiss goodnight.
If your child is really little, wait 'til they fall asleep, then sneak out the room - I used to pretend to snore, like Fred Flintstone, and they fell for it, every time, and, made me laugh - haha! They figure, you're sleeping, I'll go to sleep, too... Tricks, Folks! It's all magic!
But with an older child, you can say your goodnights, sitting on their bed, then I always do a little 'doodilly do' on their feet, on the way out the room - I'm not sure why, but they really love it, is cute and comforting.. you kind of wiggle your fingers over their feet, which are under the blanket - it makes them smile, and that's a nice way to fall asleep, right?
When your child is old enough to have 'Wishes', have them say their 5 Wishes - it works for adults (you can say your 5 Wishes in your head - haha!), but it'll work for children, too - it lets you prioritize what you really want, right away, in the future, or a nice combination of both... fun for the whole family - lol!
Anyway, this little bedtime Routine takes about 5 minutes... don't time it, now that we have a pause button on the TV, no need to race back through for your favorite show, but, you do want to Keep It Simple Sweetie - say good night, close the door, if they're old enough, or close the door over, leave the hallway light on, or a nightlight, when they're little... and pretend to go do something super boring... it'll work!
Give it a try, stay calm, you're the one in charge... remember that!
And you can re-establish a new Bedtime Routine, tonight, or any night - the parent is in charge, it's your job to manage the house, so, as House Manager, is totally cool to negotiate with your child, too - same thing at the park - give a heads up, chose 2 more things to do before we leave, or 2 more things to do before you head to bed... do a countdown, and add a lot of fractions, 1, 2, 2 and a half, 2 and 3/4's, 2 and 5/8's, 2 and 8/16ths... the kids will learn their fractions, and everyone will have a laugh - and 3 is when they're right in bed - make it Fun and Friendly, it'll work : )
Good Luck, and most importantly, Good Night!
Ailsa : ) Your little bedtime gal? No, that doesn't sound right... lol!)
@AilsaForshaw (I'm tryin' to find my Follow Me on Twitter button - lol!)
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