Bedtime Routine

~:: The Pleasantest Thing ::~

It can feels like I’m just dragging my children through bedtime (sometimes kicking and screaming). And then once they’re in bed, it’s “one more book” or “Mommy, I need water” or any other distraction that seems likely to prolong the bedtime experience. One day, as we ate lunch, I realized that I was already dreading bedtime. I realized then that something had to change. I took note of what we needed to accomplish at bed time, wrote down the order we did it over the next week, and then created a routine that worked for us. And stuck to it. The routine  helped my preschooler know what to expect, and helped us get through the bedtime hours. After this routine became a part of our nightly flow, we took it one step farther, and created a bedtime routine chart. This routine chart was made at the request of my preschooler, and he takes it very seriously! While our bedtimes are still not smooth and easy all the time, this chart has drastically improved bedtime.

ABOUT CAROLYN: Carolyn is the writer at The Pleasantest Thing blog, and a mom to two boys. She believes play is critical to child development. Her blog focuses on learning and developing imagination through adventure, play, reading, and nature. Her perfect day would start with a cup of Darjeeling tea, end with a snuggle and a good book by the fire, and in the middle would be lots of laughter, running, and tickling.  You can also join in the fun by following her blog on Facebook,Pinterest, or Twitter.

CONTINUE READING IN THE PLAYROOM

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