Make Bedtime a Breeze
Bedtime for our kids can either be the greatest, sweetest, hugs-and-kisses-filled time of day or the absolute rock-bottom, crazy-making worst.
For every family, it ebbs and flows; sometimes sleep comes easily for our kids, other times it's a struggle. And for some families, bedtime has always been a source of stress and chaos.
Whether you're in the struggling-for-hours camp or the negotiating for 45 minutes one, here are some quick ideas to supercharge your bedtime routine and ease your child into sleep mode:
Start with something fun, like a 3-minute family dance party (kids choose the song!). The point is that you A) get the wiggles out and burn off some end-of-day energy, and B) connect with your child before the marching orders start getting doled out.
This is a concept explained by well-known child psychologist and author Daniel Siegel as "connect before you direct". The idea is that your kids will be far more likely to be attuned to what needs to happen next if they feel connected to you in the moment.
Another great way to supercharge the connection with your child right before lights out is to do something tactile. You can give them a little belly rub or back massage, or play a game where they have to guess the letter or picture that you draw with your finger on their back.
The bonus of this activity is you're much more likely to get them to sit on the edge of their bed for a back massage than if you simply say "Okay, time to get into bed." (I teach this to every family I work with, yet I literally hear myself say, "Okay kids, time to get into bed!" all the time. They really could care less what "time" it is.)
Once your kiddo is tucked in, see if you can trick them into slowing their breathing by holding up however many fingers match their age and getting them to slowly blow out their 'birthday candles'.
Little rituals like these can not only distract your child through the going-to-bed process and calm their little nervous system, but they can help kids feel seen and heard by their two favourite people, which goes miles toward making any kind of behavioural change - bedtime or anytime.
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If your child is dealing with a deeply-ingrained co-sleeping habit or bigger fears and anxieties around sleeping alone, book a free call with me to learn more about my "Confident Sleepers" Big-Kid Program.