1. End bedtime with a back rub. Invest in a quality lotion with a calming scent (I use vedaBaby Calm: Moisturizing Cream
), rub and sing soft songs. You'll soon discover a particular spot that relaxes your child. My son loves having his wrist rubbed. Why not invest 20 minutes to help your child clam down and relax at bedtime instead of yelling or threatening at bedtime?2. Create a routine for bedtime. While you don't need a rigid schedule at bedtime, routinely doing certain things before bed can help signal your child it is time to sleep. For some parents, bathtime is the first step to going to bed. In our house, brushing teeth, getting a water cup, and reading 3 books are our routine. We start bedtime at different times every night, but these staples in the day cue my son it's time to start relaxing to sleep.
3. Don't rush it! It's impractical to think bedtime is a 10 minute production for young children. Carve out 30 minutes to an hour and enjoy bedtime together. Your children won't be little for long, so savor baths, bedtime stories, and lullabies.
4. Process their day. As you tuck in ask your child about his favorite part of the day, even if you were with him! Listen as he recounts things he enjoyed and moments he remembered. Talk about what you will do in the morning. Show you are interested and be available. A lot of us filter through our thoughts from the day and our plans for the next one when we go to bed, and sometimes it makes it hard to go to sleep. Kids are no different! Helping them work through these thoughts, puts their mind at rest.
Want more advice check out these books:
CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE
I want to discuss these ideas and ask for more
Wow! That really worked.
None of these are working and I've started to eat my hair.
Back to sleep issues for 19 months +
0 comments:
Post a Comment