Creating an evening routine with your children for a positive bedtime outcome

I know the title to this blog seems like a magical myth but stick with it and trust me.

We all love our children, right? Otherwise, we wouldn’t have them! But we all love bedtime just as much. Although when I say bedtime, some parents will cringe. Once your little angels are asleep, its time for a parent to be themselves however I am under no illusion that some children do not go to bed easily. I have been there, on many occasions. I’ve been out on the street at midnight doing laps with my six-year-old who couldn’t relax, I’ve sat on the stairs crying because all I needed was a break and for my little one to go to bed. Bedtime can be difficult but with the right routine, things can become a lot easier quicker than you think. Like I said, I have been there.

Creating a positive evening routine takes the pressure off you and the expectations off your child that they will just go to bed. A child’s body needs that time in the evening to relax and bring all of the emotion from the day down, therefore, sending you child to bed after they have had stimulation all throughout the day, will simply not work. You need a calming routine to help the natural melatonin in their brains to kick in and for their bodies to relax enough to sleep.

Creating a positive evening routine can be fun and exciting. On a side note, being out and about as much as possible in the day will help your child to sleep better due to the serotonin that their body will accumulate from the sun. So, why not give it a try with some of the ideas I have listed below?

Make a colourful visual routine

Create a visual routine or timetable that your child can help make and put it up where it can be seen by all. On the paper, draw a box on one side and lines next to it. Let your child draw the action and colour it in and you write what that step is next to it.

Keep is simple

In order to stick to a routine, you need to make it as easy as possible. There is no point creating a routine that is difficult to complete and something that you or your child will see as a chore instead of a fun task. Also, if you go out, make sure it is easy for somebody else to follow because the last thing your child needs is disruption in a routine that is working for them.

Communication

Tell your child what the next step is or ask them to tell you. That way you are both on the same page and know what is coming next. And if either of you feel like the routine isn’t working then change it together so that your child is a part of the process. This is their bedtime after all.

Stay as calm as possible

Take some time to breathe if things aren’t going as planned. You are only human, and you have feelings therefore if you feel overwhelmed, step away. Get some water, maybe fresh air and return when you feel calmer.

And last but by no means least, have fun.

Why are you doing something if you and your child don’t enjoy it? If its something you dread then put it to bed (no, in this sentence I don’t mean your child……change the routine.) Make sure both you and your little one look forward to bedtime.

Here are some ideas that you could add into your evening routine:

· Bath or shower - play a game, either with dolls or rubber ducks, make this a fun experience.

· PJ’s – time your child to see how long it takes to get into pyjamas. See if they can beat last nights time or your time.

· A 10-minute workout – jumping jacks – sit ups – running on the – army crawling – fun exercises that your child can do.

· A mini massage to relax the mini you.

· A warm drink

· Toilet if your child is toilet trained.

· Read a book whilst child is in bed, one of their choosing. Even if you’ve read it a hundred times and your child can recite it word for work, oh I have been there…. It is something that they enjoy and brings them a sense of security.

· Say goodnight

Let me know how you get on or if you have tried something new. And it is important to remember, that just because it doesn’t work the first time, this doesn’t mean it won’t. You need to find a routine that will work for your family.

Photos from my own collection and www.pexels.com.