Sleep, or lack of it, is probably the most discussed conversation among parents we know. Of course we’re hardest hit as new parents in the first few months of baby’s arrival, but sleep after children is never really the same, is it? Even after the newborns turn to toddlers turn to preschoolers turn into full fledged kids-there always seems to be either a struggle to get our children to sleep at bedtime or else, something that has them and us up in the night.
So how do we get our children to bed without the sneaky avoidance tactics, crying and pleas? It’s hard to determine what’s real and what’s just fabulous manipulation on the part of a sweet-talking 3 year old! They’re hungry, they’re thirsty, they have to use the bathroom, they forgot to kiss daddy good night, they need their favorite teddy that happens to be MIA. Well every family seems to have their different ways of approaching the elusive bed time dilemma, but here are some basics that parents in the know seem to have figured out:
- Have a regular bed time
- Give children a 10 minute warning that the bedtime routine is going to commence.
- Have a regular bedtime routine and stick to it as much as possible.
- A trip to the bathroom including teeth brushing to avoid trips after they’re in bed
- A soothing bath (with Coco & Tini bubble bath of course!) before getting into PJ’s
- Quiet story time
- Ensure a comfortable temperature in your child’s room.
Hmm.....Unfortunately we don’t have good advice on how to keep children in bed once they have fallen asleep the first time. If you have any tips, we’d love to hear about them!